What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say...
Do they know?
One of my favorite quotes of all time is by Ralph Waldo Emerson “What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” Each day I try to carry the vision of God’s will in my life to be and do all that he has made possible. When I am in my workplace, at the grocery store, driving (which I do a lot), at home with my family and with friends, do the people around me really know I am a Christian? Many days I am confident that they know; however there are those days where I am angry, upset or otherwise discontent and I am quite sure they wonder or think surely he’s not.
I can be hateful even when that is not the intent and I find that I get overwhelmed because I tell God with my actions “that’s ok, I’ve got it!”, when I don’t. The only time I have anything is when I am accepting the grace of our loving Father. Even though I am able to recognize these inconsistencies, there is very little I can “do” about it.
I have compiled a list of some very basic things that I do on a regular basis to prepare myself for service to our Lord, Jesus Christ. This list is basic because I am in Spiritual Boot Camp. This is not to offend anyone but is meant to give you the mental picture of how I should train myself to serve God, and neighbor.
· Pray often - Thanksgiving, others and self. This has been a difficult discipline to get hold of, but I practice.
· Read God’s Word – I know that I don’t read my bible enough and there is no one to blame, just another area that I have lots of room to grow.
· Attend Church – Regular attendance gives me the opportunity to fellowship with other Christians and partake of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.
· Teach others – I have a lot of missed opportunities to witness to others. I know the importance of teaching or witnessing to others about the love of Christ.
· Practice
· Practice
· Practice
Just remember that every day we have the opportunity to carry out the Great Commission, Go… Teach… Baptize…
It is just that simple, notice I chose my words very carefully, I did not say easy. Please take a moment each day and ask Jesus to help you to live that, “they will know we are Christians by our love”
Respectfully Submitted,
Steve Pike
Chairman – Board of Elders
www.rlcbaytown.org