It is SO easy to talk the talk.
Believe me, I know. I am an auctioneer, an extrovert AND a Christian.
Talking is totally my jam.
But the challenge comes when we are called not to talk the talk but also walk the walk.
The inability to do just that is one of the main reasons why people shy away from “religion,” or specifically Christianity.
From my experience, many nonbelievers are nonbelievers because they feel like the “church” is filled with hypocrites.
And do you know what? They are right.
I am guilty of this. I KNOW what the Bible says about XYZ, but what happens? I do what I want anyways.
I am clearly not perfect (just ask my beloved husband.) And I am going to go out on a limb and guess that you aren’t perfect either.
But we should always be striving to become just a little bit more like Jesus everyday. So we starting a new series called “Practicing what we preach.”
Are you still there? Please don’t run away.
Each Monday, we are going to look at a trait, teaching or characteristic that Christians are supposed to live out. We will discuss the shortcomings we often experience and then create personal growth challenges to make sure our actions are matching our words.
This is going to be a challenging ride. Especially for me. Because although it is necessary, growing isn’t easy. (Believe me. Grow is my One Word for 2014. Yeowtch.)
So today, we are going to start gently.
Peek back at the beginning of the post. Remember the part about we all falling short because we are sinners? Yeah. So how do we acknowledge that we DO sin but don’t live as hypocrites?
One word:
HUMILITY.
I think one reason that Jesus followers get a bad wrap is due to pride coupled with inauthenticity. “Fake it til you make it (to heaven)” seems to be a pretty standard game plan for some Pharisaical Christians.
That is SUCH a turn off… not only to other believer, but especially to those seeking but not yet dedicated to Christ.
We have to make sure we NEVER get all “holier than thou” on those around us. Seriously. We all screw up (daily) and the ability to admit our shortcomings might just show a level of sincerity and repentance that others didn’t expect.
Here is a hypothetical example:
Suppose we come across a gal who is a Christian. She reads the Bible each day, prays with her kids and goes to church each week. She might even be a spiritual leadership coach and lead a home group. (Completely hypothetical of course.)
Let’s say that one day, she is coaching a client and they confide in her about challenges with making healthy choices regarding food, exercise and even relationships.
This hypothetical coach can respond one of two ways:
1) As a hypocrite, she can start showing off her Jesus knowledge, quoting Scripture about self-control and gluttony, bragging about how she has lost X number of pounds and blah, blah, blah. Classic case of pride, insincerity and holier than thou. Gross.
2) She can practice what she preaches. She encourages her client by admitting that she struggles with some of the same things herself. She humbly confesses that she falls short and struggles, but finds strength in Jesus through XYZ scripture. She provide specific examples and authentically, humbly establishes credibility through sharing her own journey and focusing conversation around WWJD (what would Jesus do) in a non-threatening, anti-guilt-inducing manner.
Now which coach do you think will see more success from her client?
Practicing what we preach can be a touchy subject– but it is definitely one that needs to be touched on.
What topics would you like to see covered in the coming weeks of this series? I have a few ideas already, but would love more feedback. Leave a comment.
Hold onto your heart, my friend. Because it is about to get real all up in here.
It is time we start practicing what we preach. Every. Single. Day.
Preachin’ Jesus,
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. ” ~2 Timothy 4:2 NIV
Linking up today with Kelli via Unforced Rhythms, Laura at Playdates with God, Joan’s Beauty in His Grip, Jen over at Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood, and Hazel via Tell Me a Story. Be sure to join our #EverydayJesus link-up community right here at 7 Days Time every Thursday!
