I read a quote yesterday by Neil T. Anderson that I can’t stop thinking about.
“People may not always live what they profess, but they will always live what they believe.”
We’ve all professed our belief in something, then turn around and do something that totally undermines what we said. Well, I guess I can’t speak for you, but I certainly have. We would do well to ask ourselves regularly this question:
What do my behaviors say about my beliefs?
Let me back up and tell you why this is on my mind.
I had the incredible opportunity to visit Israel last week, and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to adequately describe the impact it had on me, let alone convey everything to you that I want to. I’ve been thinking about it A LOT, and I’m sure it will show up in future posts and studies and videos. For now, though, I believe this will summarize where I keep returning:
Faith in Jesus Christ is based on historical facts, not some crazy notion or idea that someone cooked up a long time ago.
Often it’s super easy (especially if we run in Christian circles and speak Christianese fluently) to say “I believe __________” and fill in that blank with any story we read in the Bible. However, what I’ve been asking myself and what I want to encourage you to ask yourself is this –
Do I *really* believe it?
Obviously, our first inclination is to say, “Of course, I believe it!”
Then my next question is this:
Does my behavior prove it?
Ouch, right?
Here’s some questions I’ve been asking myself the last few days -
Am I allowing fear to direct my decisions and the direction I’m choosing? If so, then do I *really* believe that God is with me and will equip and empower me? I may say I believe that, but does my behavior and choices prove otherwise?
Am I harboring resentment toward someone for an offense long past? If so, then do I *really* believe that Jesus was serious when He said to forgive as I have been forgiven? I may say I believe, but if I’m holding on to unforgiveness, then my behavior and attitude prove otherwise.
Am I allowing worry to overtake my thoughts and rob me of joy? If so, then do I *really* believe what the Bible teaches about worry? I may say I believe, but if I continue to worry, then my behavior proves otherwise.
If you were to ask Jake (my husband) what one of my favorite sayings is, he wouldn’t have to think long about it. He would say,
“When people show you who they are, believe them.”
Which is very similar to another one of my favorite sayings –
“Who you are thunders so loudly that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.”
I have no idea who coined those phrases, but I love them both. Admittedly, they are much more fun when they are directed toward someone else. However, it is my responsibility to point to myself and ask if they are true of me. What do my behaviors say about my beliefs? Do they match my words?
With our words, we may often say, “Jesus is my Lord.” Are we saying the same thing with our behavior?
Here’s what I know. The world needs for those of us who say we believe in Jesus to actually live like we do. You with me? Let’s do this. And what I mean is, let’s not just say we’re going to do it, let’s actually DO IT.