Living a Christian life requires actively loving and serving God and human beings. When Jesus was asked in Matthew's Gospel about which commandments were the greatest, He responded: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." The second greatest commandment is to “Love your neighbor as yourself." These two commandments form the basis of Christian life. Christians live in a way that honors God and encourages and allows others to experience a fulfilling life.

Christian Living Principles

Christian living principles are all derived from the two greatest commandments. To love God with all our hearts, we need to learn about God and be in a relationship with God. A primary way we learn about God is through the study of the Bible. Another way is through attending church, where we hear the Scriptures interpreted through sermons, Bible studies, and songs. Attending church also helps us to develop a relationship with God. Another way to develop that relationship with God is through prayer, which is talking with God.

To love our neighbors as ourselves, we must show compassion and seek to put their needs above ours. We also need to be able to share what God has done in our lives. God's gifts to us, especially the gift of Jesus, are so special that we want to share them with those we care about.

Read the Bible

The Bible tells us about how God has acted throughout history in the lives of God's people. It tells us who God is and how God acted out of love to send Jesus, or God in human form. The Bible is the foundation of our knowledge about God. Through the commandments and the way Jesus behaved, we learn how we are called to live as Christians. Reading the Bible daily, or at least several times weekly, is an important part of Christian living.

Prayer

Prayer is communication with God. To love anyone, we need to communicate with them. To live into the commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, we need to find time to pray. Prayer has seven different types; to have a full prayer life, Christians practice all seven types.

These types are:

Adoration: Adoration is simply praising God for who God is and expressing our love of God.

Lament: We bring our fears, sadness, anxieties, and doubts to God.

Thanksgiving: We thank God for all our blessings.

Petition: We ask God for our needs, wants, and hopes.

Deliverance: Some people might group prayers of deliverance under the category of Petitions because they are similar. Deliverance prayers ask God to deliver us from a specific disaster or difficulty.

Contrition: Prayers of contrition express sorrow for doing wrong things and ask God to forgive us for doing them.

Guidance: Guidance also is similar to petition. In guidance prayers, we have conversations with God where we acknowledge that God is all-knowing and seek God's help in determining the best course of action.

Attend Church

The church is the body of Jesus Christ on earth. Jesus is God in human form. If we really love God, we will actively participate in the body of Christ -- the church. Attending church also helps us learn more about God, praise God, thank God for blessings, and to learn about the needs of others within the church and community. Being with other Christians supports us in our Christian life and allows us to support others, as well.

Get Past Temptation

Temptation is the desire to do something that dishonors God or our fellow human beings. We are often tempted to do something that will bring us short-term pleasure, even if it violates the principles of Christian living. For example, we may have pledged to give a certain amount of money toward the church's programs to help the poor, but we are tempted to buy a new dress we don't need with that money instead. Or, we feel we deserve a promotion at work, but our boss chooses someone else, and we are tempted to sabotage that person.

To live as Christians, we find ways to get past these temptations. Talking with another Christian, praying, reading Scripture, and attending church regularly all help.

Be a Witness

When we read a great book or see a great movie, we are quick to share these with the people we love. We want them to experience the same joy we've experienced. Jesus is the greatest gift ever presented to humanity. If we truly love others, we will want them to experience Jesus for themselves so that we will tell them about Him.

Jesus also has commanded us to be a witness to all that God has done for us. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus said, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Love and Help Others

The second commandment is clear. We are to love our neighbors. As followers of Jesus, we do our best to keep this commandment. The Bible tells us that everyone is our neighbor -- including those that we dislike. We help our neighbors when their bodies, souls, or minds are in need. We avoid jealousy over things our neighbors have that we lack. We go out of our way to show kindness, and we work to make their lives happy.

What is the meaning of Christian living?

Christian living is conducting our lives in the way Jesus has taught us through the Scriptures and the example of His life. It means praying, reading Scripture, attending church, helping and loving others, and conquering temptation. It also means sharing your faith with others; one way to do this is through Love in Faith tee shirts that spark conversation. Christian living is about loving God and loving your neighbor.