Branding Yourself a Christian....

Have you ever been driving down the road or pulling into a parking lot (or drive through) and the car in front of you has any of the following:

A sticker representing their church.
A 3D christian fish symbol.
A religious anti-abortion bumper sticker.
A decal of a piece of scripture.

And you noticed this only because that person was:

Speeding and dodging through traffic.
Tossing their trash out the window.
Road raging at the elderly driver ahead of them going below the speed limit.
Giving the "bird" signal to someone who cut them off.
Being rude to the person taking their order at the drive through.
Yelling at their children in the car who are acting up.

When you take the bold step to put a sticker identifying yourself as a Christian, it's like being branded.  You are letting everyone you come in contact with (directly or indirectly) that you belong to Christ.  And when we act in an un-Christ like manner, what do you think people think of us?

They call us....

Hypocrits.

1 Peter 2:12 (ESV)
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

If you are going to make the bold step in branding yourself a Christian, for the world to see... whether by marking your vehicle, getting a religious tattoo or standing out on the street corner proclaiming the word... it is important to remember that the world is watching you.  And, how you behave toward them and others they witness...will determine not only how they see you.  It will also affect how they see me, and any other Christian they come in contact with.