One thing I have been pondering lately is evaluating my relationships based upon behavior—not words. People can say one thing, but their actions might reveal something contrary to what they say. When that happens, observe their actions. Actions trump words every time! I love the quote by the late poet Dr. Maya Angelou: When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time. I wonder how many broken relationships could have been restored or necessarily abandoned if only we had followed this advice sooner rather than spend years not believing what people show us.
So it is with the Christian walk of life. Notice we call it the “walk of life,” not the “talk of life.” Some songs remind us “they will know we are Christians by our love” not by our language, decrees, or sermons. Some scriptures attest that “faith without works is dead.” A dead faith sounds like no faith at all.
If you have not already done so, I invite you to read Paul Prather’s most recent contribution to the Sunday, May 6, Lexington Herald-Leader concerning “witnessing” in the workplace. When you are truly a Christian, it changes you from the inside out. We take our faith with us everywhere we go. So, how do we witness appropriately in the work place?
With our actions, he concludes. The most influential person in his young faith was a co-worker who did not use the words of faith or try to “save” him. He simply responded kindly, used gentle words, and gave others help when needed. There will surely come a time when people want to know more, and you will need to know about your faith to share it in a logical, cohesive way. Until then, let us make sure that we are showing people who we are, and that they might believe us.
I am grateful to be your pastor,
Stephanie