A Good Christian?

I'm turning 41 and starting my 6th year as a full time comedian. Undoubtedly I started later in life than a lot of others who perform comedy. It is overwhelmingly a young persons game.

When I was 25, 26, 27 I was weighing heavily going into the ministry in the role of Pastor or Evangelist. I was encouraged to pursue this by several around me until they "discovered" that I didn't have a college degree. When they found that our I was told that I would simply be "too old" to start in ministry by the time I got my bachelors degree and seminary credentials.

If I would have started back to college studies at 28 and followed the usual path of studies I would have finished seminary by the time I was 34.

But I always wondered why all of that stuff qualified you for ministry. Does Christianity require those who pastor and teach about Christ to have a college degree? Is it a prerequisite for me to have a college degree to be able to understand and read God's word and then share it?

I don't know. My gut says no.

I do know that there is NOTHING of demerit to having a college degree at all. Academic study gives you the ability to have exposure too and dig into volumes of historical documents to sort out the twists and turns of the faith since the first century. But does it give you a key to seeing more truth? Does it allow you more common sense to understand what is being said?

I still wrestle with this and can see both sides of the coin, here is an example.

A Preacher at a church I recently performed at gave a message on the "Six Essential Steps of Being a Good Christian".

These six steps included reading the Bible, prayer, tithing, Wednesday night attendance, Sunday School attendance and telling others about Jesus.

This man was seminary trained with a Doctorate in Theology. In my not so humble opinion, that list is primarily, nonsense as it is heavy on "works" and light to nondescript on faith and legitimate substance. Certainly prayer and bible study are important in the life of a Christian but none of the "Six Essential Steps" listed will automatically make someone a "Good Christian".

Christianity cannot and must not be reduced to a list of activities.

Also, if there are "Good Christians" are there then also "Bad Christians"? Those who will just barely limp through because they didn't get the same amount of grace from the blood of Christ that has been portioned out to those people who are "Good Christians"?

The Christian faith is built on and sustained through nothing that you or I can do but simply on the one act of unselfishness by the one who has the right to be called "Good".

Why is it then that we as followers of Christ put so much effort into being perceived as "Good" when we know that at the end of the day nothing we DO will make us "More Christian" than simply Loving God and Loving our neighbor as ourselves.

If that means we simply buy a cup of coffee or open a door or encourage someone, then so be it. If that means we help a neighbor with their roof or shovel snow off the sidewalk, fantastic. Christ is in all of that as much as and potentially more than He is in the routine of being someplace just to convince others and ourselves what a "Good Christian" we are.

Am I off base on this? Would a couple of degree's correct me? Would I be more godly with a degree?

Maybe. What do you think?

Marty Daniels is a Christian Stand Up Comedian from Columbus, OH. You can learn more about his comedy on his website at http://www.MartyDaniels.com.