True Religion

As believers, we need to realize what message we convey to non-believers. And I'm not really talking about the dangers of having tattoos or the occasional drink of wine or which part of town we hang out in. I hear the words "guard your testimony" often regarding what Christians should and shouldn't do. Clearly, Scriptures teach us to be holy and refrain from sin or the appearances of sin. However, the phrase "guard your testimony" doesn't really make sense when I think about it. Guard? My testimony? The only testimony I have is what Jesus did. And I don't want to guard it, I want to proclaim it and live it and make it known.
Sadly, the times I've been told to "guard my testimony" really did involve tattoos and what part of town I hung out in. And who I talked to.
One question. Who did Jesus hang out with?
Who did he come to save?
The Son of God went to the misfits, the beggars, the children, the sick, the prostitutes, the tax collectors. People that Christian culture seems to keep at an arms length and use hand sanitizer after encountering.
If avoiding being seen with my friend who has more earrings than ear and a rough band tee shirt is "guarding my testimony", then something isn't right. What if I told you that they called me on the phone to tell me that they had hit rock bottom and wanted to talk about Jesus? That they had been accused and judged by the Church community they visited, and afterward explored Buddhism because they wanted to learn how to love and find joy?

Jesus wants us to love people, not push them away with self-righteousness and airs of religious superiority. And we can. With His grace, we can become the Body of Christ that is a beacon of light and draws people in and gives them something to wonder about. We can show them that there is hope in the shattered, broken pieces, and that the love and sacrifice of Christ will bring them life.