Does your Life Match Your Word?

Many years ago, my life was at a crossroad. I heard the Lord tell me to leave my current church and to find another.  Of course, he never told me which church to move to, not to mention this was heart-wrenching to me. I had rededicated my Life to God and joined a small Pentecostal church and grew in the spirit in a vast way. I was no longer a baby Christian, but I was also still maturing in my faith. I had been on several mission trips, taught youth group, and held a position of treasurer of the youth group. This was a lot to walk away from. At that time, I didn’t realize these were building blocks.

As with anything new, I had to start church hunting. I finally found a church, and before deciding if this was the one, I needed to attend a service during the week. The week I chose to attend the pastor was out of town and there was a guest speaker.

I must confess, I don’t remember anything he said but this one sentence. “We should be evangelizing at all times, and sometimes use words.” As the words crossed his lips, it also crossed my mind. I almost missed what he was conveying, but I backtracked in my mind and began to focus on what he was saying. “Oh wow”, I thought, “now I get it.”

This one sentence has impacted my life for many years and will impact my life for many years to come. In other words, what my life presents matters more than the words I speak. I began to examine, my life as a Christian in a scrutinous way. Did my walk line up with my talk? Was I a hypocrite? Have I nullified my works, by not living a sound Christian life? This threw me into examining my life in a different way.

I no longer tried to announce myself to people unless they weren’t getting it. I wanted my life to speak for itself. I wanted my life to say I live for Christ. What does that mean anyway?

Today, many believers in body of Christ have a way of announcing their belief. Some verbalize it, some witness or tell people about Jesus, others where T-shirts with religious slogans or phrases on it, some will wear a cross or have religious tattoos and scriptures on their bodies. All of this is good, but it doesn’t mean you belong to Christ.

When we look at the life of Jesus he didn’t stand out from the crowd. He looked like everyone else. He carried a strong message by living the message as well as speaking it. Yes, he dealt with the same emotions that we deal with it, he was happy, sometimes angry, he spoke with boldness and did not shrink back in fear, he preached the word with compassions, loved the children, lead those to believe in himself. He grieved his losses; he had a job and took care of his family. He challenged the religious community who were set in his ways. He walked and talked the truth. He obviously studied the scriptures, trained the disciples, he loved a good party and having dinner and conversation. He was a friend, a teacher, a brother, and son as well as savior, Lord, and the foundation of the church.

Are we following his example? Do people see Jesus when they see you? Or do they see you as themselves? Does your life say Jesus, or does it say I belong to the world? What do they see? Do you sacrifice for your fellow man? Is there a difference in your walk now than when you were in the world? Do people notice a change or are they still seeing you in the club, bar, and strip club?

What does your life say about you?