Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 2 Corinthians 4:10
The officers in the police department where I am a chaplain do not have the luxury of taking time off. I don’t mean that they never have time to themselves or that they are always at work. What I do mean by that statement, though, is that police officers are police officers, not because they wear the uniform, but because they were sworn in to serve and protect; and that is a job that continues 24/7. When an officer takes the oath of office, he assumes the responsibility that comes with that position. Sure, he may take his uniform off when he is not at work, but anything he does, good or bad, reflects on his department. Many officers drive their police cars home, so they are always identifiable as an officer. They must always be ready to assist those who come to them for help, they must always be ready to help with an emergency, and they must always carry themselves in a manner becoming of an officer. Whether he is on duty or not, a police officer can lose his job for something he does in his private life if it reflects badly on his department. In other words, though they may have some time to themselves, they are always on duty.
A Christian’s responsibility is no different. It is easy for a Christian to act the way he should when he is at church and around those who know how he should act. Unfortunately, we cannot live our entire lives in a church building. Leaving church, however, does not mean that we can stop acting, dressing, or talking like Christians. Outside the walls of the church, there is an entire world of people who are watching to see how we are going to act and react. We may take off our Sunday clothes to go to work, school, or play, but anything we do, good or bad, reflects on our Lord Jesus Christ. The people who are watching us know that we are Christians, and we must always carry ourselves in a manner becoming of a Christian. Though we can never lose our salvation, we can lose our testimonies and our influence when we do things in our private lives that do not reflect the life of Jesus Christ living through us. Being a Christian is not a responsibility that we have the luxury of picking up or setting down when we feel like it. As Christians, we are always on duty to lift up the name of Jesus Christ.
Read also: 2 Corinthians 4:1-11
Quote of the day: "Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left you.” – Unknown