James 2:19-20
Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
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.
The late radio commentator and author, Paul Harvey, was known for telling “the rest of the story.” He would weave interesting tales for his listeners that contained a twist or something peculiar or unique at the end… and he would utter his trademark phrase, “… and now you know the rest of the story.”
As Christians, we often fail to tell “the rest of the story.” We stop short by claiming to believe in God… we are ready and willing to tell others what God is capable of doing – and we may even share personal examples of how God has blessed and cared for us. But this is where we begin and end… with talk. We don’t “live by example.” We judge others – often unfairly. We are exclusive in our social circles and display negative attitudes and stereotypes. We gripe about how bad things are getting in our country – and the world at large – and we blame everything on someone else.
How often do you hear someone say, “I’ve been asking God to turn this economy around, and I believe He is answering,” or “I thank God for my freedoms, and I know He is blessing me at every turn.” When was the last time you posted something positive on Facebook… or offered someone who was struggling a little hope for the future? How often to you speak encouraging words to someone else, based on your own hope and faith in Jesus Christ to “do all things?”
There are far too many “Christians” in this world who are sitting on the sidelines, judging each and every person they encounter according to a personal agenda, and offering little to nothing that would make the next guy say, “If he/she is the example of what life holds for those with Christian faith, sign me up!” Instead, there are plenty who are claiming the name of Jesus and turning off others at every turn. In a nutshell, if these folks are the epitome of a faith-filled Christian, forget it! They don’t want any part of it… and who could blame them?!
We have to stay awake and alert… and we simply must examine our hearts – and our faith – on a daily basis. Are we truly sharing “the rest of the story” with others? Or are we giving lip service to the love and power of Jesus Christ and then sitting on our hands? Worse yet, do we say one thing and demonstrate another? The time has come for us to be “the real deal” for Jesus. It will require hard work, dedication, and continual effort… but nothing less is acceptable. What is your level of commitment? How much of the story are telling these days?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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