Professing Christian, Practicing Atheist
How would you describe someone who says he is a Christian but who thinks and acts as if God is not immediately present? A professing Christian and a practicing atheist. I was one of those people.
It’s one thing to say that God is omnipresent. It’s another thing to think and act as if He is always in whatever room you are in. I would say that God was omnipresent, but never translated that thought into carrying around in my mind an awareness of His presence everywhere I went. I unconsciously assumed that the room I was in was without God – unless I was at church or praying. (Why is it, by the way, that families can fuss and fight in the car on the way to church but stop when they get to church? Do they think God is in the church but not in the car?)
People who forget God’s omnipresence are just as disadvantaged as people who deny it.
It’s quite possible, therefore, that most professing Christians today are practicing atheists. I hope you are not one of them.
If you are, just begin to practice the truth that you say you believe. That is, think and act as if Jesus Christ is everywhere you go. Then you will not just be a professing Christian, but a practicing one.
Mike, This is so important. I feel that most of us forget God during our daily routines. Not consciously, not out of a willfull rebellion but out of a habitual neglect. We forget to practice the presence of God. Thanks for this blog to help us remember that it’s so important to keep God close at all times. I feel our pulpits neglect to remind us about this importance by neglecting the Word and preaching too many social issues. We can keep up with society through the news, we need the Word to keep our feet secure on solid ground. Thanks again for the Good News through your blog. I’m just finding it so I have a lot of catching up to do, reading past insights. God bless you.