The True Test

The true test of Christianity isn't in the Church but in the home. It isn't how saintly or godly you can act in the church, it's how your Christianity works in practical, everyday, living situations.

If I can't live the Christian life in the home, then I'm only a phony when I live it outside. It isn't difficult to look and act like a Christian when we come to church. We come, we sing, we worship the Lord, and we get "in the Spirit." I'm not saying that we're insincere - but it has to be demonstrated in the home, too.

I need to live the Christian life around those closest to me, those whom I rub shoulders with daily. My relationship with Christ should definitely affect my relationship with my wife. And because of my relationship with Christ, I should have a better relationship with my children.

Dr. Parker, the famous minister, was speaking to a church in Chicago. After a few nights of services in which the Lord had been blessing through the study of the Word, there was a sharing time. People were asked to tell of the blessings they were receiving through Dr. Parker's ministry and the Word of God. One lady stood up and said, "I'm so thankful for these lessons and what they've done for me! I'm so thankful that God loves me! I'm so thankful for this relationship that I have with God in Jesus Christ!"

She started to sit down and Dr. Parker said, "Just a moment. Tell me, with this new relationship in Jesus Christ, how does that affect you in the home? Does this make you a better mother? Does it make you a better housewife? Are you sweeter to your husband because of your relationship with Christ? Has this really made you a better wife and housekeeper?..."

He felt a tug on his coat and the minister behind him said, "Press those points, brother! That's my wife!"

Our Christian experience should find its expression within our home relationships. But, we must confess at the outset, the application of Christian principles isn't easy. We can attest to the truth and acknowledge and desire what is right, but the difficulty arises in putting it into practice.

The blending of two lives into one is never a smooth operation. There are always those difficulties that arise. Thus, we find the market flooded with books on marriage. People are buying these books and pouring through them in the hope of discovering some new secret formula for a happy and peaceful relationship in their homes.

The situation is similar to the perennial problem of weight control. Everyone is coming up with a new scheme promising the answer. "Without dieting or exercising you can lose 50 pounds! Very simple! Just mail $10 for these exciting secrets." We're always looking for that easy road to happiness and success.

In reality, there is no easy road. A successful, happy relationship takes a lot of work. The blending of two lives into one is a difficult experience.

Paul was very wise in couching his remarks by saying, "Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfectness" (Colossians 3:14). It is only through the love of God working in and through our lives - and our yielding to that love - that we can ever come to a successful, happy blending of our two lives into one.