There was a bishop in the early Christian church by the name of Ignatius of Antioch. He lived between 35 and 108 A.D. For being a faithful follower of Jesus, he was martyred in the Coliseum in Rome. He was eaten by lions. Listen to some words that this early Christian wrote. “Please pray for me that I may have both spiritual and physical strength to perform my duties. That I may not only speak the truth but be the truth. That I may not only be called a Christian but also live like a Christian. I do not want people to look at me as an example, for at best, I can only be a pale reflection of Christ Jesus. Let people look away from the reflection and turn to reality. Christianity is not a matter of persuading people of particular ideas, but inviting them to share the greatness of Christ. So, pray that I may never fall into the trap of impressing people with clever speech. But instead, may I learn to speak with humility, desiring only to impress people with Christ himself.” Ponder those words. What an amazing place of peace and serenity it is to get to that place in your life where you are no longer living to impress people or living to win the approval of others. What a peaceful place it is to simply live for Christ, living only to honor and please him. Living so others don’t see you, but see Christ in you.
– Dr. Tim Thompson