Sydney slammed her hand on the snooze button and turned over. Minutes later, its constant buzz drew her out of her dream stupor. She shoved the alarm clock to the floor. Was it that easy for her husband to push her aside for a younger woman?

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Had it only been a week since he left?

The days ran together and she racked her brain to figure out what today was.

Sunday. Sydney sat up and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

Could she face everyone at her small church? Word of their separation rippled through the congregation like a stone skipping across a lake.

She threw the covers off and rolled out of bed. God gave her these friends and she needed to be with them. She dressed quickly and grabbed a muffin on the way out the door.

Sydney willed her hands to stop shaking as she inserted her key into the lock.

“Sorry to hear about your idiot of a husband,” Jimmy said.

She jumped. “Oh, hi.”

He crossed his arms. “You’re still going to church?”

Great. Jimmy already ridiculed them for their faith and this would only add fuel to his fire. After all, weren’t all Christians hypocrites?

Silently, she prayed for the right words. She couldn’t shatter the witness she worked so hard at throughout the years.

“Yes, my faith is what I cling to in good and bad times.”

He tilted his head. “I’ve noticed. You’re different than the others.”

“What do you mean?”

“You live what you believe. It’s refreshing.”

As a Christian, don’t you get tired of being lumped into an “all Christians are hypocritical” category?  I do. Don’t get me wrong, I know we make mistakes, but are we really that bad? How can we change the world’s view on us?

We’ve made mistakes in the past, but what about now? How do we live today? We need to show evidence to the jurors of the world. State our case through how we live.

Let’s think about how we react to bad circumstances in our lives. Do we become bitter or choose joy? The world is watching.

Do we gossip or make fun of others behind their backs? That’s not Christ-like. Others notice things like this.

How about the way we talk? We should use our words for good, not evil. Encourage the hurting. Lift up those around us.

I believe if we lived out our faith daily instead of only when it suits us; the world would get a better picture. What will they see? Yes, that we’re not perfect, but we love our Lord and want to serve Him.

Let’s prove society wrong. Live out your Christ-like faith today!

2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV)

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”