Standing?

by Joshua Bland

The song included above, Coat of Arms, has become very important to me as of late. This has been a challenging year for me, and I have learned much pertaining to both academics and life in general. However, as of late, there has been a particular challenge that has been impacting me. Take a look at some of the lyrics from the chorus:

What do I live for?

Can you tell on my face what my heart beats for?

Do the words that I speak show it to the core?

Does my glow outshine the stars?

Can you see my coat of arms?

What do I stand for? When I ask this question, it is not, as is often considered in American society, directly referring to a political stance, although that certainly would be the logical conclusion. Instead, the heart of my asking is this: what ideas and worldview and I going to represent? If I am completely honest, I feel that many days I take a somewhat passive or even negligent approach to this.

You can learn much about a person through their actions. While this is certainly the case, I know myself to be a creature of habit. There are things that I do because that is the way I have always done them. Going through the mechanics every day has a tragic side effect: I forget to really, deeply evaluate the cause. Do I get the door for someone because I usually get the door, or do I get the door to show that they matter? Is my action just that, an action, or is it done with the purpose of showing others the love of Christ?

So is every little thing I do going to be done to share the Gospel? Because I am still human, the answer is a resounding no. The point is this: we need to be intentional. Paul writes to the Colossian believers, saying, "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity" (Colossians 4:5). Curtis Vaughan offers the following in his commentary: "To 'be wise in the way you act toward outsiders' is to show practical Christian wisdom in dealing with secular society. Paul's words imply that believer are to be cautious and tactful so as to avoid needlessly antagonizing or alienate their pagan neighbors."

And there, my friends, lies the challenge. We need to think about what we are doing and the impact it is having on those around us. No man is an island, and no action goes without interpretation. By simply going through the mechanics, no matter how nice we may be, people will just see the action. Love must be intentional. Living and acting out of love for others must be even more so.

Bibliography

New American Standard Bible. La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1977. Kindle.

Vaughan, Curtis. "Colossians." The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Ed. Frank E. Gaebelein. By Arthur A. Rupprecht. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Pub. House, 1981. Print.