Ephesians 5:5-7
You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.
Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that.
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I saw an interview with actor/director/screenwriter Tyler Perry (creator of the “Madea” films), and he was asked about a picture he tweeted of himself shopping at the grocery store – for the first time in 15 years. He said, “I have people who do that for me now.” He explained that he spent his time on other pursuits, and he hired someone to do things for him like shopping, cooking, and more. He also noted that there was a time when he was homeless and lived in his car, so he makes no apologies for now being able to afford to hire personal shoppers and assistants.
I happen to like Tyler Perry. From what I can see, he is a decent person who has done well – and helped a lot of other people along the way. From everything I’ve observed, Perry strives to honor God with all of his endeavors…and he appears to credit God for all of his blessings and success.
Here’s the thing…a lot of us were essentially “homeless and living in our cars”…lost without God…living in a world of sin and the devil’s tricks. Then we found Jesus…we invited Him into our hearts…and He saved us. And more than a few of us went right back to the “car”. We didn’t truly grow and learn. We are content to let others do the work of Jesus’ ministry while we claim His salvation and “ride his coat-tails” – and those of others who obediently serve Him. Oh, we’re quick to “talk the good talk”. When asked, we will say that we are Christians…we will talk about the power of prayer and how “the LORD will provide”. But we’re not eager to do the hard work…we’re too busy to reach out to others and truly share how God has worked in our lives. Our talk about the power of prayer is just that – talk! We don’t really have the time or inclination to stop and pray for others.
Sadly, a lot of Christians trot out their faith when it’s convenient, serves them well, or makes them look good. But the truly earnest work of loving others in Jesus’ name and sharing His Good News with them is not on our radar. We’re first in line to expect a blessing from God – or an accolade from others for our goodness…but it’s pretty much a mask behind which we hide. Pastor Rick Warren talks in The Purpose Driven Life about the word “worship” and how we throw that word around and misuse it. Warren says that many of us claim, “I didn’t get anything out of ‘worship’ on Sunday,” when true “worship” is not designed for us…it is designed for GOD. We’re not supposed to get something out of authentic “worship” – we are to offer worship to God!
By the same token, I believe we are not to sit back on our laurels and rest in the salvation of Jesus Christ. We are not to wait expectantly for God to bless us or “fix” things for us. We are to get busy emulating Jesus…demonstrating His teachings to others…and showing them grace, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and unconditional love in His name. Talk is cheap. Others will know us (and our true character) by our genuine love for Jesus Christ – and how we demonstrate it (John 13:35).
Where are you today? Are you making the most of your new life in Christ? Are you sharing His message with others in everything from your physical actions to your talk and your body language? Are you busy taking God’s blessings over your own life and multiplying them in your daily living? Or are you still stuck “living in your car”? Are you expecting your salvation to be your “ticket” into heaven…and carrying on as usual in your old ways with the same people and situations that held you captive in the past? Are you hiding behind cheap talk and pretending that you are a faithful disciple to impress others? Are you content to let other Christians do the work of the LORD for you…regardless of how viable your excuses may seem?
Isn’t it time to do a “gut check”…to see where you really stand as a Christian disciple? Are you willing to risk the discovery that your discipleship needs a little work in order to become a more genuine servant of Jesus? Will this be the day you take inventory and make necessary changes? Don’t you think you should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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