1 John 3:1 “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” (NIV)
Some years back, I received a recognition that made me feel proud. Upon leaving the event, I got into an elevator and realized no one in the elevator (not that they wanted to) could feel the same level of pride in my accomplishment because they did not know who I was or have a reason to be proud of me. The same is true of your Christian walk. For others to give praise to Christ, they must know who Christ is and experience His life in them. Romans 10:14 describes it well, “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” God has made youHis ambassador to point others to Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:20 says “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us.” God wants to draw others to Him through the manifestation of His life in you. This verse raises two questions about being a follower of Christ: 1) Do those around you know Christ? 2) Is the life that you are living distinctive enough for another to recognize Christ in you as well as be attracted to Him? You will reflect Christ to others in a greater measure as you grow in intimacy with Him. As magnificent as it is for Christ to be in you, it means nothing to the unsaved person given that his/her life is destitute without Christ. Don’t be surprised if someone rejects your witness of Christ. Rejection might be a natural feeling when one spurns your witness of Christ. What began as a work of Christ to touch others through your life has now turned into rejection. Remember that God’s message is not about you, but about those who do not know Christ. God does not want you to become distracted by how others treat you; He wants you to see how others are hurting and need Christ. Matthew 15:32 shows how Jesus saw people, “Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, ‘I have compassion for these people.'" God does not want you to seek personal acceptance and prominence but to help others see how much God loves them. Just as God loves you and has made you His child, He desires all to be His children so that He can lavish His love upon them.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (NIV)