Too many times we engage in the game of “don’t show, just tell,” when it comes to our faith. It’s easy to be a critic – and that’s why the world is full of them. We are quick with the right words of condemnation of the evils around us, but not willing to show a better way, to walk the path of righteousness.There is a real danger of sharing the pure truth of the Gospel when we are incapable of living it ourselves. As a result, people reject us and our faith out of hand because we aren’t living a righteous life. Our actions don’t match our words and we slip quickly into hypocrisy. Our desire to be heard, understood and accepted fails as our words are quieted and dismissed as a result of our missteps and misdeeds.
If you have a crucial errand to run, a task that requires a journey to complete and you’re not sure which way to run, will you listen to the directions of a sure sounding person and trust that they will guide you to your destination? Or will you opt to follow someone who knows the way and that you can follow in their footsteps as they travel the path ahead of you? Like most people, I would choose to be shown the way, not told the way.
Can we say, “Follow me in this path, because I follow Christ.”
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6 Comments so far, click here to add your own:
Man, I had no idea the path of righteousness was so ridiculously scary looking!
Seriously, though, that picture really emphasizes the importance of us taking our walk seriously. If we don't, well, it's a long fall. And people might be following us.
This faith stuff is serious business...so we need to walk circumspectly. Wouldnt want to have a mill iron around the neck of those we lead astray.....
David
Well said, David. I do a lot of "telling" when I visit classrooms of ad and marketing majors, but "showing"? This is nearly impossible for me since I don't work in the advertising industry. And yet I feel called to do what I can in this area.
What to do....
By the way, can you say more about the picture?
Rob wrote this to express a growing concern we see with a dichotomy of faith, saying one thing, but doing another. But the essence of Red Letter faith is to a doer FIRST.
I would much rather follow the guy who walked on the narrow and creaky road (like the picture), than hear a presentation about how I should walk on it.
--- David
Another great post. I actually think the propositional nature of modern American faith is perhaps our biggest problem. The bible is waved and quoted but not read. Sermons are preached and not lived because they are often ridiculously hard (like that path Marcus) and no one can live them, even the preacher.
Everyone likes the payoff in admiration for good words, but its harder to live well and without recognition. But Jesus called us to the latter, right?
Gordon
i like what you said about sermons spoken and heard but never lived because they are just too hard.
From HA Overstreet, who wrote "The Mature Mind" in 1949 (a great read if you can find it)
"The typical member of our culture cna express the highest idealism and practice the crassest realistm without ever knowing that the two are in contradiction. We are a nation of divided selves."
-- David
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