But sometimes it doesn't always work out the way I would hope.
On more than one occasion I have encountered someone wearing Red Sox regalia and begun my spiel only to be interrupted with a response something like this: "Oh, I'm not a Red Sox fan. I just picked up this hat real cheap at a garage sale." As the disappointment sets in, I think to myself, "If you're not a fan, take off the hat!" I don't want to see someone ostensibly being a Red Sox fan and then find them cheering on the Rangers or even worse, the Yankees! In my warped fanatical mind, your clothes should match your heart. What people see and what you really believe ought to match.
That may or may not be true with our sports allegiances, but it is undoubtedly true for those of us who call ourselves Christians. As we wear the name Christian, it is important that our lives validate our conviction. We all know the damage that is done when a spiritual leader is caught in a moral failure. It seems to happen much too often, and when it does, it wreaks havoc to the cause of Christianity. But that's not true only of church leaders. It's true for everyone who bears the name Christian. If you wear the hat, your heart should follow.
The New Testament urges us to live holy and honorable lives, knowing that the strength of our witness is to some degree tied to our behavior. The apostle Peter writes to believers and encourages them to, "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." (1 Peter 2:12, NIV) Jesus himself tells us to, "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, NIV)
As the saying goes, "You may be the only Bible some people will read, you may be the only Jesus some people will see." As disciples of Jesus, we don't just want to speak all the right words (although we do need to verbalize our faith) or wear Christian regalia (and I have a closet full of Christian t-shirts). We want our lives to confirm the message that we serve a holy God that gives true joy, real hope, and abiding peace.