How many people do you know?

How many people do you REALLY know?

How many people can you say are close friends? I define a close friend as someone that you know the little details of their personality. You know their beliefs. You know their strengths, weaknesses, their goals, their life failures, and how they like their coffee! (That is a big deal!!!!!)

Pew research says that 53% of Americans have 1-4 close friends, 38% have 5 or more friends, and 8% have NO close friends. 

That is funny to me because FACEBOOK says I have 1,724 friends! LOL! I look through that list, and sometimes I think, "Who is that? How do I know them? WHAT DO I KNOW ABOUT THEM?" Then I realized, I don't have as many friends as I claim. If I went to my list of Facebook friends, how many of them do I REALLY know?

I was reading Ezekiel 9 today and I was struck by the idea of having a mark on my forehead to signify I am a follower of Jesus.

"Then the glory of the God of Israel rose up from between the cherubim, where it had rested, and moved to the entrance of the Temple. And the Lord called to the man dressed in linen who was carrying the writer's case. He said to him, 'Walk through the streets of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of all who weep and sigh because of the detestable sins being committed in their city.'" (Ezekiel 9:3-4)

As I looked at my list of Facebook friends, I thought, Would they have a mark on their forehead? Of course, most of you would say, "Yes, I hate the things that are going on in the world today!" Do their Facebook posts support their heart for righteousness? Do they detest ALL sins or just the sins that OTHER people are committing?

I look at some of my close Christian friends on FB and think, "WOW, that post doesn't match what I know about you. That post doesn't match your compassion for people, your love for them, or your love for God"

Maybe I don't know them as well as I think I do!

When I look at myself in the mirror, can I be confident that my actions match my beliefs in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? Do I live the greatest two commandments, loving God with all my heart, soul, and strength and loving my neighbor as myself?

How many people do you really know, and how many of those people really know about you? Does your faith match your life? If Jesus sent his angels down to earth to mark his followers, his TRUE followers, would you get the mark? Can people tell you are a follower of Jesus? Do your friends know?