Before and After? Since I’ve lost so much weight, people can’t help, but compare my “before” and my “after.” I get asked questions as to how “life has changed” from “before” to “after.” Do I feel better? Can I eat the same foods? Am I having to buy all new clothes? How are my aches and pains? Do people treat me any differently when they first meet me? These are all legitimate questions! I’m always thrilled that people care enough about me to ask. It means that they can definitely see a difference.
This got me to thinking about how life “should” change “after” we become Christians. In our “before” lives, we were slaves to sin. We spent our time living for ourselves. But, after being washed clean in the blood of the Lamb, our lives have a new focus. Everything changes – the inside and the outside. We don’t talk the same. We don’t dress the same. We don’t go to the same places or hang out with the same people. When others do find out that you’re a Christian, they may act differently around you. This used to bother me, but now I take it as a compliment. Our “after” selves should be “different.”
I remember a saying that I first heard many years ago. It said, “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” What does your “after” baptism picture look like to others? Do others “know” that you’re a Christian by your words, actions, and dress? Simply blessed, Courtney