The Flame Within

“Standing With Charlie, Standing for Christ.”

I may be one of the only ones bold enough to say this—or maybe others have and I just haven’t seen it. While I completely understand the sentiment and the heart behind the statement “I am Charlie”… and while I am a supporter of his work, heartbroken and outraged over his assassination, and deeply committed to standing up for my faith without being silenced… I still wrestle with the phrase.

I think Charlie would have been touched by the solidarity, but I also believe he would have struggled with the saying. Because Charlie didn’t live to point people to himself—he lived to point people to Jesus. He would not have wanted people to say, “Be like Charlie.” He would have wanted them to say, “Be like Christ.”

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”

This reminds me of a dear friend of mine, Barbara. She was one of the most godly, pure-hearted women I’ve ever known. When she passed away, I was heart-broken. She had been such a source of love, encouragement, and always pointed me toward Jesus. After she died, I found myself comparing myself to her: “What would Barbara do? Barbara would never say this or feel this way. I can’t compare to her.”

But in prayer, God gently reminded me: “Barbara wouldn’t want you to be like Barbara. She would want you to be like Jesus.” Barbara always pointed me and everyone to Jesus. Barbara’s faith was incredibly God-fearing and a womderf role model. But, she is not my standard—Christ is.

And so it is with Charlie. He lived his life pointing others to Christ, and he lost his life because he refused to stop proclaiming Biblical truth. The bold statement we should be making is not “I am Charlie”—but “I am a Christian.”

I stand with Charlie. I stand for Jesus Christ and the gospel.

Friends, what about you?
Who do you compare yourself to?
And would that person want you to be like them… or like Jesus?

We are each created with a unique DNA, soul, personality, and purpose. We were never meant to be like someone else—we were meant to be transformed into the likeness of Christ. God created eaxh one if us with a purpose!

Blessings,
Crystal ✝️