| Vol.1 No.7
Q. I don’t have any friends. Everyone seems to hate me. What can I do to be liked?
A. I fear when I read a question like this that the questioner has a low self-image. It is altogether probable that you, yourself, have not learned to love. As we reach out to respond to the love of Jesus, there can be no way in which we will not share that love.
Never in the Bible does it tell us that we should expect others to love us. We are admonished to love one another (1 John 4:11); asked to love our brother (1 John 4:21); counseled to love our neighbor (Lev. 19:18); and the ultimate call is to love our enemy (Matt. 5:44). When we reach out in love for others it is wonderful to notice how that love returns to us. It is a natural and inevitable consequence of life.
But we cannot love one another unless we love God first. God loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3). When one feels unloved it is easy to fear rejection. Therefore, we tend not to reach out to others. I would urge you to ask Jesus to give you the strength to reach out and care about other people and, in turn, you will be surprised how quickly your loving concern will be returned to you by others. Soon you won’t even be thinking about whether others love you.
Vol.2 No.1
Q. How can you know whether or not you are worthy to call yourself a Christian?
A. First of all, I am wondering if you are asking the right question. Is it our responsibility to call ourselves Christians or will others, seeing the beautiful character of Christ lived out in us, be constrained to call us Christians?
You are probably aware that it wasn't the followers of Christ who coined the name Christian. In Acts 11: 26 we are told that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. This became a name of honor.
It is important for us to allow Jesus the privilege to live in our lives so that we might reflect His character to men and women. As we look back on our past lives, there is nothing of worth for which we can boast. Our worth is the result of the price that heaven paid for our salvation. In Revelation 4:11 it says, "Thou art worthy, O Lord." In Revelation 5:12 we hear the beautiful words, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. " My suggestion would be that you concern yourself not about whether you are worthy to call yourself Christian. As you more and more perfect the character of Jesus, others, however, will be compelled to call you a Christian. |
