US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article published on ASSIST News Service, on living out our faith…
Grove, Oklahoma, US
Via ASSIST News Service
PICTURE: Henry Xu/Unsplash
“And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it” – II John 1:6 (ESV).
Our pastor often asks the congregation the following question: “Do you know who you are and to whom you belong?” In other words, do we belong to the world, or do we belong to Jesus Christ? Belonging to the world means we’re not following the example of our Saviour and Lord. If we claim to be a Christian, yet let ourselves be swayed by the world’s values, we can’t walk the talk. While none of us is perfect, it requires us to walk in love to follow Jesus’s example.
In 2020, contemporary Christian artist, Josh Wilson released a song called Revolutionary. I love the lyrics. In part, Wilson sings about our differences and that we don’t always agree on everything. He says that doesn’t mean we have to be enemies. Maybe we need be brave, take a leap of faith, call a truce, and find a better way, he adds.
“Instead of judging others by the colour of their skin, their religion, their gender, or their political persuasion, we should be asking, ‘What would Jesus do?’ The answer to that question is easy.”
Through his song, Wilson says we need to open our eyes, and look and listen to discover we’re more alike than we are different. Then, the singer asks the following questions:
Why does kindness seem revolutionary?
When did we let hate get so ordinary?
Let’s turn it around, flip the script
Judge slow, love quick
God help us get revolutionary.
One definition of revolution is “a sudden, complete, or marked change in something.” If we look at the issues facing our world right now, I think we can all agree we need a change – a radical change.
Instead of judging others by the colour of their skin, their religion, their gender, or their political persuasion, we should be asking, “What would Jesus do?” The answer to that question is easy.
Wilson answers that very question in his song:
What would Jesus do?
He would love first
Yeah, He would love first
So we should love first.
God is love and His Son, Jesus Christ, exemplified love while He walked this earth. How much does God love us? John 3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (NIV).
Jesus’ walk was in love. He healed the sick, helped the poor, and cared about people’s souls. Jesus forgave those who had turned against Him, even Judas, the disciple who betrayed Him. He made fishers of men so they would follow in His footsteps, caring for and loving others, and sharing the Good News.
American evangelist Dwight L Moody once said, “The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy.”
One of our church members recently told our pastor, “I want to live my faith, not prove my faith”.
So, what does living out our faith look like? If we read and study scriptures, we can compare what Jesus did and said to our words and actions. We can ask God to reveal to us where we come up short. When we live out our faith, we’re striving to be more like Jesus, showing the world we belong to Him.
Belonging to Jesus means being loving and humble, using our unique God-given gifts to glorify His kingdom. Avoiding negative speech and replacing it with life-giving words reveals to others we are His servants. As His followers, we should overflow with joy despite our circumstances because our hope is in Him. And yes, we can walk the talk when our footsteps are planted firmly in His. Where are your footsteps leading you?
