What You Say and What You Do

     It's the big thing these days, you'll hear it everywhere in Christian circles. “I don't need to talk to people about Christ, my life is my witness.” People everywhere are giving up on actually witnessing to those around them and simply trusting in the 'power of a transformed life.' Now I'm not saying that your life shouldn't reflect your faith, or that the people around you shouldn't be able to tell that there is something different about you. What needs to be said however, is that a silent choir doesn't get many listeners.

     First let's look at that life of yours. Were you once a criminal? Did you come from horrible circumstances? Do you live in a really bad part of town? No? Then I'm sorry but you're life of 'goodness' is not going to seem much different to those around you. Oh sure, they will think you're a nice guy, or that you're rather conservative, or maybe even kind of a prude but I doubt very much they will be floored by your holiness and virtue. Our lives can say a lot, they can tell people that we don't agree with what is around us or that we hold ourselves to a higher standard. Our lives can tell others that we respect them or that we had good parents or that we just want everyone to get along, but our lives alone won't tell anyone about Jesus. Simple actions can only ever tell anyone about you. We need to be more expressive. We need to explain the pattern that people see in our lives.

     Don't get me wrong, that life you live is important, it's just isn't enough. Our lives should be transformed and we should be different from the world. Our every action should be feeding through the filter of God's Spirit. What we say, what we do, what we think; how will these affect the world's view of God? We cannot live as the world and expect the people around us think that our faith is anything special.

“Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Christ did.”

(1 John 2:6)

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

(1 Peter 4:1-2)

     As I said before, our lives -by themselves- only tell the story of us. It's when we speak to those around us that they see the whole picture. If all my co-workers see that I don't work on Sundays they can think of any number of things. They might even assume it's because I'm at church, but if I tell them why and explain that the day is set apart for God and His praise, what will they think then? I can treat others with respect and be seen as a nice guy, but if I tell people that God is no respecter of persons and holds no one in higher regard than anyone else, if I tell them that He loves us all so much that He sent His Son down to die on our behalf, what will they think of that? When we tell people what we believe, when we show them the Word, our lives will serve as the proof, as the substance to what they may see as just more words. It's all fine and good to hear that God loves everyone, but it's another thing entirely when you see His people actually out there loving people! They may see that I behave differently than those around me, but if tell them of my Redeemer they can see that I'm not just a different, better man, I'm a saved man! I'm one who has been changed!

“...'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.' How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(Romans 10:13-14)

     My life has to back up my words and my words have to reflect my life. I need to walk the walk, but I also need to talk the talk. If we do one to the exclusion of the other we will be weak witnesses and poor missionaries. Don't think that your life will draw others to God like flys to honey, or that your words don't matter. Don't think that you can talk people into the Kingdom or that no one is watching you. Life the life that God has prepared for you and do your best to tell people of the hope that is in you.