What Does Christian Behavior Looks Like?

     I can recall my first ideas about what a good Christian looks like: don’t cuss, drink or smoke; don’t lie or tell dirty jokes; smile a lot. But is this a biblical notion? It’s not even close (except for not telling lies - we should all aspire to be truth-tellers).
     What, then, is the biblical description of a Christian? We all have our ideas. We all try to live up to our ideas. But do our ideas truly correspond with the Bible’s description?
     Before we crack open the Bible, take a moment and reflect on what you believe a Christian looks like. If you are unsure, then consider what you tell yourself you should be doing as a Christian. What do you expect of yourself? Do you try not to get angry and cuss? Do you scold yourself for smoking? Do you feel guilt and shame for drinking alcohol? How do you feel after having lied to someone? The answer to these questions help us see our ideas, or standards, of Christian behavior.
     Now, let’s open the Bible. First, I want to consider Hebrews 11:6: “…without faith it is impossible to please God.” Would you agree that our desire to please God a biblical description of Christian behavior? Alright. So far, so good.
     The next passage is in Matthew, the account of the rich young man. “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” Listen carefully to the question. Jesus’ response is important (see Matt. 19:16-23; Luke 18:18-24; Mark 10:17-22).
     You may be thinking, “You can’t get into heaven through good works.” And you are correct. But we have this stubborn notion that good behavior is important. You respond, “That is because God desires we mature into Christ-likeness.” Again, you are correct.
     So what is the problem? Well, we want to determine what is important concerning Christian behavior. Is it just about not cussing, drinking, smoking, telling lies, etc.? To conclude my thoughts, let’s consider Matthew 25:31-46, the famous story about the sheep and the goats. Do you remember that story? What was the distinguishing feature most prominent between the sheep and the goats? It was acts of compassion! In the deepest places of God’s heart, he desires we share his warm, grace-filled compassion with those suffering. When you reach out to touch a hurting soul with the compassion of Christ, you are engaging in the highest form of Christian behavior. And that, my friend, is the first step in learning what Christian behavior looks like.