What Does A Christian Look Like?

I am a volunteer at a local non-religious youth group; we meet weekly, talk about many things and do many activities. One day the subject of religion came up, I shared that I am a Christian and a few of the new young people were shocked by this. "Are you really?" one asked, "just, you don't look like a Christian." I was taken aback 'don't look like a Christian.' What on earth does that mean?

I thought about it for a few minutes before responding with "well, what do you think a Christian should look like?" The young person thought about it for a while before saying "I don't know. Old? Boring? Proper looking?" I asked them "am I any of those things?" I won't lie to you I was more than a little nervous to hear the answer. "No, your good" (phew, that coulda been worse...) We continued talking about faith for the rest of the meeting and it was really amazing to watch the young people learn. I thought about that conversation over the next few weeks. Do I look like a Christian to those around me? If so, how? If not, why not? I prayed on it every night, looked up every verse in the Bible about the appearance of a Christian that I could find (there's not many.) I prayed each morning and night that God would guide me to the answers I was looking for and faithful as ever he did.

At the meeting a week or so after I found my answers we were talking about religion again and, once again, I was asked about my faith and what I believe. One of the young people said, "Do all Christians look like you? Like are there rules for what you need to look like?" I thought about all I had been reading in the past few weeks before responding "well the Bible speaks of modesty but besides that, there aren't any 'fashion rules' so to speak. I personally know many Christians who look and dress differently to me, so no, I wouldn't say all Christians look like me." A conversation started up around appearance; how different we all look, how our clothing styles are all uniquely our own and how we all view the way we look. I was asked, "How do you view yourself?" I remember smiling as I replied "I was made in Gods own image, He fearfully and wonderfully created me. I know that the way I look now is exactly the way God intended, His perfect design." After talking about appearance for a little while longer, the question I had been waiting for came. "Well if all Christians look different, how can we tell who is a Christian without asking them?" The answer was so simple now that the Lord had shown it to me. "By the way that they behave."

See, I genuinely believe you can't tell a Christian by the way they look. Sure you may be able to tell if they are wearing a t-shirt with a Bible verse on or a cross necklace, but without those, picking out a Christian in a line up would be pretty difficult. We can't tell who's a Christian by looks but we can by actions. How do they spend their time? Who do they spend it with? What do they make time for? What's important to them? There are so many questions you could ask. Are they selfless or selfish? Spread love or hate to those around them? Do they gossip about people or not? Do they serve others around them joyfully? Do they go to church? Do they read and study the Bible? Do they show patience? Are they self-controlled in their actions? Do they pray? There are many other questions you could ask and even after asking all of these questions you still might not be sure. Thankfully there are a couple more questions that will answer that for sure. Do they love God? Do they show that by sharing the good news? Do they talk of Jesus? Of God? Of his grace and our salvation? Do they want to make disciples of all nations? If the answer is yes that is how you can tell that person is a Christian.

I shared that with the young people of my youth group and then I asked them "If I don't 'look' like a Christian, do I behave like one?" There were quiet whispers around the room for a few moments before one of the young people said, "well I remember you said you go to church." Another one continued, "if you get here early you read your Bible and pray before we start, I have seen you." "And you talk about Jesus and what he did" another joined in. "So what do you think?" I asked, "If I don't 'look' like a Christian, do I behave like one?" I could see around the table many of the young people were nodding. a few moments later the conversation had moved on to other things but later in the evening one of the young people came over and asked why I believe what I believe and if they could find out more, I answered their questions and gave them some resources to look up. I am going to check-in with them in a week and see what they have learnt and how they feel, but one thing I have learnt in all this is what a Christian looks like.

Christians look like; people, human beings who come in all different shapes and sizes from all over the world. They all wear their hair differently, dress differently, have different tastes, like different styles and colours. No two Christians look alike on the outside but on the inside we are loving, selfless, hardworking, caring, god fearing people who can show that through that actions we take and the way we behave and react to things.

Do you volunteer anywhere? If so, do you spread the Word of God there? Has anyone ever thought that you don't look like a Christian or asked you what a Christian looks like? What was your answer to them? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.