I’m a day late posting this free-write because I just desperately needed a day off from pretty much everything yesterday! But here it is, regardless…
This week my son and I were reading a passage in John Bunyan’s classic Pilgrim’s Progress for his school lessons. The part we were reading a conversation between the characters named “Talkative” and “Faithful.” We learned that Talkative liked to discuss ideas of faith and Christianity, but that in his hometown he was known as a hypocrite, doing all sorts of things that were definitely un-Christian. When Faithful confronted him with the truth of his actions as opposed to his words, Talkative was quick to leave. My son and I noted that it isn’t enough to be able to talk about following Jesus. You actually show by your behavior what you believe.
This is a difficult thing for many of us who were raised in the church. We know how to give the right answers in Sunday school. We can talk about what we believe and even why we believe it. But too often there is a disconnect between our religious talk and our real life action…and our actions flow from our hearts. So I have to ask myself, is my faith all talk, just words I say or type? Or is my faith lived out in my actions at home and beyond?
Paul said in 1 Cor. 13:1
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
Let’s not be noisy gongs, like “Talkative.” Let’s be true to our words, that we may be found “Faithful.”
This post is part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes and Write 31 Days blogging challenges. Find all my posts in this series under the tag “write31days2018.”