Character Witness

Then I asked, "Who are you, Lord?" "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the Lord replied. Acts 26:15 (NIV)

Paul's account of his encounter with Jesus is very dramatic. It also mirrors many encounters I have had with my conscience. I have not been struck blind, but I have been blind sided by the realization that I have done wrong. How many times am I guilty of persecuting Christ? How many stumbling blocks have I thrown in front of someone's path? Romans 14 talks about weak faith, and how we should not cause each other to stumble. Persecuting Christ does not mean we are blatantly set against Him like Saul before his transformation into Paul. Persecuting Christ is done by little things daily. Jesus was tortured, physically persecuted, and died for our sins, and not just the big ones. He died for the little thing we do not always think about. A word we know we should not say, but do anyway. The little piece of gossip that we think is so important, but only undermines the person we're talking about and our own character. The thoughts of lust and covetousness. Unimportant things we do not realize we are doing, much less hold ourselves accountable.

I know I read Paul's story and think, "How could he kill Christians? How could he openly do so many terrible things?" Paul's transparency about who he was and how he changed is inspiring. I do not even know a confessed murderer. God used him for a purpose. His story is life-changing, not only for him, but for those who read it. But when I stop and think, I persecute Jesus, too. I am not killing, but how many doubts am I planting with questionable decisions? How many times am I the one lashing the Savior's back with my sin? How many Christians' faith have I killed because of what I did? I need to think about my actions, my decisions and my words very carefully. I may not be Paul, traveling throughout the known world spreading the Gospel, but I need to be an accurate witness, full of great character. I need to hold myself to a different standard, one based on Jesus' standards, not man's. I do not want to be struck blind in the road someday, like Paul, convinced I was righteous, only to find out how wrong I was. I am called to be willing to be persecuted with Christ (1 Timothy 3:12), not persecuting Him.

God, point out to me the ways I persecute You and put stumbling blocks in the paths of other believers. Clean my conscience and set me on the right path. Amen.

Nikki Hamsher