What's In A Name?

At church recently, my pastor shared a great illustration that some of you may have heard, but I had not heard it before. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, this illustration should mean something. We have a very detailed guidebook (The Bible) that tells us how we should live as Christians. Yet, many of us fall vastly short and end up often giving Christ and His cause a bad name.

I invite you to read through this...let me know what you think. I'm not sure where the illustration originally came from, but I found it online at http://dailywisdom.gospelcom.net.

Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. One night during a campaign, he couldn't sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds.

As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty - a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it.

The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life. "Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?" Alexander the Great asked the soldier.

"Yes, sir," the soldier responded in a quivering voice.

"Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great.

"Alexander, sir."

Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What is your name?"

"My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated.

A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is your name?"

A third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir."

Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye. "Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change your conduct."

For those who call themselves a Christian, but do not live up to the standards set forth so clearly, change your name, or change your conduct...