How to Be a Serious Christian in this Generation

Just by glancing around us, it looks just like everyone really understands what it means to be a Christian. Churches are full every Sunday, online meetings are attended, in fact many have roles they play in church. It seems to be that many churches actually don't need the usual evangelism to influence people to come. Jesus finally has His perfect bride?

But taking a closer look, we can't help but notice that it seems many are all just following the unofficial and unwritten playbook. The way of lives of the same people who writhe under the supposed influence of the Holy Spirit is many times very unlike that of The Spirit.

And this is actually quite confusing — one time the church seems to be filled with Jesus in the flesh, and in no time it seems to have changed to a band of religious hypocrites. So, what then does it mean to truly be a serious Christian in this generation?

So we are clear, Christians are people whose lives are Christ-like. So you wanting to become a Christlike Christian means you want to mirror everything He does. How do we do this?

1. Ensure You Know Who You Believed

(Philippians 3:10)

It is quite funny to know that some "Christians" do not actually know who they believe in. Some believe in the God of their pastor, their parents, their spouse, friend, family, or of their church. They do not have a true, valid, personal knowledge of who God is. They have inherited a second-hand faith and are running on borrowed revelation. When the storms of life come — and they will come — a borrowed faith will not hold. You cannot stand on someone else's encounter. You need your own. Let your faith be rooted in a God you have personally met, not just one you have heard about.

2. Be Dedicated to Building a True Relationship With Christ Daily

(John 15:4)

Since Christian means Christlike, to be a serious Christian would then mean to become much more like Him — and you cannot be like someone you don't know. Relationship requires intentionality. It requires showing up even on the days when you don't feel like it, especially on those days. Many people have a weekend relationship with God — active on Sunday, absent by Monday. A serious Christian understands that the daily quiet moments of prayer, worship, and sitting with God are not optional extras. They are the very foundation of everything else. You cannot walk in the nature of Christ if you are not consistently in His presence.

3. Avoid and Pray Against Fear

(2 Timothy 1:7)

Fear makes one go against their own beliefs. It makes Christians sit uncomfortably in things against their calling, their convictions, and their God-given identity. Fear will make you keep quiet when you should speak, stay when you should go, and shrink when God is asking you to expand. It is not a harmless emotion — it is a spiritual force that has derailed many destinies. Pray against fear deliberately. Identify the areas where fear has been making decisions for you and bring them under the authority of the Word. A serious Christian cannot afford to be fear-led in a generation that desperately needs bold, Spirit-led witnesses.

4. Ensure Your Spirit's Internal Sensors Are In Place And In Perfect Condition

(John 16:13)

The Holy Spirit speaks and leads Christians every part of the way, but if the sensors be broken or hardened, how can we hear? The Spirit of God is always communicating — through the Word, through promptings, through peace, through a check in your spirit. But many Christians have dulled their sensitivity through consistent sin, distraction, worldliness, or plain neglect. It requires you to take seriously the small nudges before expecting the big directions. Guard your heart. Keep short accounts with God. A sensitive spirit is one of the most valuable assets a serious Christian can carry in this generation.

5. Serve Honestly And Diligently

(Colossians 3:23)

Many serve. Very few serve from a right heart. There is a version of service that is performance — designed to be seen, applauded, and rewarded by men. And then there is the service that Jesus modelled — quiet, costly, selfless, and rooted in love. A serious Christian must examine the motive behind every act of service. Are you serving because you genuinely love God and people, or because of the title, the recognition, or the need to feel needed? Diligence in service also matters — doing what you are called to do with excellence and faithfulness, even when no one is watching. God does not just look at what we do; He looks at why and how we do it.

6. Study To Know The Word And Live It Out Daily

(2 Timothy 2:15)

There are a lot of people who boast of knowing every fact in the Bible — engaging in Bible quiz competitions and all, from a young age. But head knowledge is different from heart knowledge, and it is heart knowledge that transforms. The Pharisees knew the scriptures better than most and still missed the Son of God standing right in front of them. Knowledge without application is spiritual pride wearing a Bible cover. A serious Christian does not just read to know — they read to become. Make the Word your daily bread, not your occasional reference. The transformation God desires happens as the Word is studied deeply and lived out consistently.

7. Put On Your Spiritual Noise-Cancelling Earphones

(Romans 12:2)

Why did you do this? Because everybody said so. Everybody is doing it. The likes said so. The trends demanded it. A serious Christian must be firmly grounded on the Word of God and learn to filter and block every noise. Many contaminating elements get into our hearts through seemingly harmless noise we did not filter — casual conversations, ungodly entertainment, the opinions of people who are not aligned with God's purpose for your life. Noise is not always loud. Sometimes it comes softly, dressed in relevance and relatability, slowly pulling your compass off true north. Not every opinion deserves a seat at the table of your mind.

8. Walk In Accountability And Community

(Proverbs 27:17)

This generation has produced a version of Christianity that is deeply individual — personal podcasts, personal quiet time, personal anointing. While intimacy with God is personal, growth was never designed to happen in isolation. A serious Christian must be planted in a genuine community of believers where they can be known, challenged, and held accountable. Accountability is not control — it is the grace of having someone who loves you enough to tell you the truth. Find people who will speak into your blind spots without flattering you. Be someone who is open to correction, not just to encouragement. Iron sharpens iron, and you cannot be sharpened by what never comes close enough to touch you.

9. Love

(1 Corinthians 13)

This beautiful chapter of the Bible helps us understand that nothing is or can be right without love. Walking in and showing indiscriminate, Christlike love daily — and not just occasionally — is proof that we know God, because God is love. You can prophesy, fast, serve, know the Word, speak in tongues, and still have missed the entire point if love is absent. Love is not a feeling you wait to have — it is a decision you make every day about how you will treat people, especially those who are difficult to love. In a generation full of noise, division, and self-promotion, a Christian who genuinely loves will stand out more powerfully than any sign or wonder. Let love be the evidence that Christ lives in you — not your title, not your gift, not your platform. Love.

Being a serious Christian in this generation is not about perfection. It is about direction — consistently and intentionally moving toward Christ in every area of your life, and refusing to settle for a version of Christianity that looks the part but carries no power. The cost of mediocre Christianity is too high, not just for you, but for the people whose lives you were assigned to impact. The world does not need more churchgoers. It needs more Christ-carriers — people whose private life matches their public confession, whose character backs up their calling, and whose love for God is evident in how they love people. That is the standard. That is the call. Be one.