It’s Not Easy Being Green
Kermit the frog sings that phrase! Here are the lyrics to remind you (in case you never heard the song or listened to its story.) They don’t rhyme, so read it like a story.
“It's not that easy being green; Having to spend each day the color of the leaves. When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold - or something much more colorful like that.
It's not easy being green. It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things. And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water - or stars in the sky.
But green's the color of Spring. And green can be cool and friendly-like. And green can be big like an ocean, or important like a mountain, or tall like a tree.
When green is all there is to be? It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why? Wonder, I am green, and it'll do fine, it's beautiful!
And I think it's what I want to be.”
Granted, it makes a strange introduction to an article intended to encourage us to be stronger, more faithful Christians, but read the story again! While not easy for Kermit, did you notice he speaks in a fashion that fits all of us “common folk?” While we blend in with the “ordinary,” we need to remember we’re made in the image of God. When we are immersed into Christ for the remission of our sins, we are changed into something much greater: we are added to the beautiful body of Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Yes, being a Christian makes us “different” just like Kermit is different: but in Christ Jesus, we’re what HE wants us to be! We become His beautiful Bride (Ephesians 5:22 – 33; Revelation 21:9). And that, dear friend, is precisely what we all need to be!
No, it’s not easy being a Christian, any more than it’s easy being green. But the fact remains, being a Christian is surely easier than being a sinner and destined to eternal damnation! Only the Christian has God’s promise of never leaving nor forsaking us (Hebrews 13:5 – 6). Only the Christian has Jesus as an advocate with God (1 John 2:1). Through God’s divine power, we have everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1:3). And the only way to know Him is to obey Him (1 John 2:3). Yes, being a Christian makes us different from the world, but that’s a beautiful thing, and precisely what we all need to be!
Yes, we will face persecution because we are Christians. (2 Timothy 3:12) But such persecution places us in surprisingly good company! Jesus was persecuted, and we will be as well because our conduct of life will mirror His (1 Peter 2: 21 – 25). Peter told us via inspiration we should not be ashamed of the persecution we received, but rather we should glorify God on this behalf (1 Peter 4:16). Yes, that’s a unique way of living than the world lives: but it is beautiful in God’s eyes, and that’s what we all need to be!
While in some situations we blend in with the “ordinary” folks, that should be only by the physical likenesses. We aren’t animals and should act like them. We aren’t birds or fish or creeping things either. We’re human, and yet our souls have been changed to be like Christ (Galatians 2:20). Therefore, how we speak, how we act, how we dress, where we go, where we don’t go, and why we abstain from all appearances of evil is what makes us different. The world of sinful folks that we left when we obeyed the gospel will think us strange that we don’t follow their pernicious ways anymore (1 Peter 4:4; 2 Peter 2:2). But remember, we’re Christians and no longer blending with their sinful activities. We’ve been made beautiful by our obedience, our regeneration by the washing of water by the word. (Titus 3: 4- 7). Yes, we’re beautiful in Christ Jesus – and that’s what we all need to be!
Have you noticed how reasonable Kermit is with this admission? His conduct is one of reason, contentment, and joy. While he may have some differences with Miss Piggy, (which adds to his difficulty of being green) they are still dearest of friends, and yes, “in love” with each other! We Christians will have our differences because we are people – varying emotions, varying engagements of interest, varying personalities, etc. Yet, we share something in common – something the world will never know until they of the world obey Christ Jesus. We share the knowledge and experience of being FORGIVEN. That’s what makes us different. When we live faithfully and conduct our lives with His authority instead of our own (Colossians 3:17), we remain forgiven (1 John 1:5 – 10). Oh yes, it’s not easy being a Christian, but it is the ONLY way to be beautiful in God’s sight – and that’s what we ALL need to be!