Recognizing Christ in Others
It always seems that the more difficult tasks in life are very rewarding in the end. This is definitely true of developing the habit of seeing Jesus in every person around you. It is very important that Jesus’ presence is recognized in every person that you deal with in life. There are a number of reason for this.
- Image via Wikipedia
- Jesus is present in every person
- Jesus made every person
- People are temples for the Lord and need to be treated as such
- Doing this makes it easier to love people you wouldn’t otherwise love
- It makes it easier to remember to help those in need. Its easier to remember to give Jesus something to eat than a homeless person sitting behind the gas station.
- It will help you stay on the narrow path. Its harder to lie to Jesus or to steal from Him than from other people.
- You will start to see more of the good in people
All in all making this a habit will help you live a more sound life of morality. Nobody wants to be mean to Jesus. I know that sounds kind of corny, but it is definitely true.
The rewards are there, but how do you begin to see Jesus in everyone all the time? It is a habit, and like all habits it will take time to develop. You will not be able to habitually see Christ in every person you deal with overnight. There will be plenty of times when you forget and treat
them less than Christ, but do not beat yourself up for it. The important thing is that you keep trying.
To make this a habit follow these steps.
- First decide to do this and stick with it. Tell yourself that it can be done and that you are not alone in your endeavor. The Holy Spirit will always be there to give you support.
- Pray. Prayer is powerful, it helps us align ourselves to God’s will. Try incorporating this into your morning prayers. When you slip up, take a short break and pray for support.
- Make it a habit that when you see a person for the first time in the day, say the Jesus Prayer. It is a very short prayer and easily memorized.
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
- When you are dealing with that person, try to imagine that they are in fact Jesus, and then treat them as such.
- Ask for help. Have an accountability partner to help keep you on the right track.
- Again, pray some more. At the end of the day, thank God for any success you had, and remember to Give God the Credit.
What are some other ways you can think of to help in this habit making? Post your ideas below.
