Faith's role in personal, family, and professional life

Gracious Christianity

Christianity is more than just a belief that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was resurrected, it is a way of life that is based on the teachings that Jesus professed. And one of Jesus' main teachings is to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. That which fuels this love toward God, our neighbors, and ourselves is the Grace which God bestows upon all human beings. As the authors of Gracious Christianity: Living the Love We Profess state in their book, "Grace describes the experience of receiving God's love." (Jacobsen, 2006, p.18) And when a person receives God's Grace, they have the potential to become a better person, the person God meant them to be. But this requires all of us to actively strive to live up to God's expectations; even though we are all imperfect and often fail to do so. However, this does not mean that people should give up on trying to live a more gracious life, in fact it means just the opposite: we should strive everyday to live more graciously toward our fellow human beings.

My faith is more than just attending church once a week, it plays an important role in both my personal and professional life. As a husband and father I believe that it is important to spend as much time with my family as possible, not only expressing the love I have for them through my interactions, but also trying to promote a Christian lifestyle by my example. Like everyone else I have good days and bad days, but I try not to let the bad days interfere with my relationship with my family. When they do, I know that my family will always forgive any indiscretion because they love me as much as I do them. The most important aspect of my faith is not the services, prayers, or other such ritualistic behavior (although they are important), it is the love I have for my family and the way I express that love toward them.

And it is not just in my family life that I express the faith I have in God. My work as an electrical engineer is very important because if I fail to do my job, it can effect a number of other people. Many people depend on me to complete my projects in a timely and professional manner. This means to always give my best effort to the project, no matter the circumstances, and I always do my best not to let others down. In my work I must also interact and function with a variety of other people, not all of whom are pleasant or personable. But no matter what happens, I always try to get along with others, forgive their mistakes, and understand their point-of-view.