Day 2791 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

James 1:26 NIV

Worthless. Well that's a rather sharp jab. But Scripture has this amazing ability to never stop to consider our delicate sensitivities. The point being that God is more concerned about our eternal souls and the work that we've been called to do while we're here than He is our tendency to feel the need to be catered to and coddled. I guess He simply isn't playing around about things like religion and faith and salvation, even though we usually have no problem kind of shrugging them off.

But our tendency to take things far too lightly is what quickly leads to making mistakes and crossing lines and causing more damage than anything else. Sadly, we’ve built a religion that’s largely based on this assumption that following a few specific rules is all that matters. And when we think that a few specific rules are all that matter, well, we kind of just assume that the rest doesn’t. That’s where things fall apart. We start forgetting that our words matter. We forget that our actions speak just as loudly as our words. We forget that it all matters. Every word. Every action. Every interaction. It all matters.

We've been discussing our role in this whole ordeal, and how easily we get caught up in the commonalities of this warped society in which we've been called to serve. You see, we can't rightly share the Gospel and convey its power and authority if we do so in a manner unbefitting the message. If we lower ourselves to running around like blabbering fools foaming at the mouth, then odds are people are just going to assume that we're insane and therefore find very little interest in hearing anything we have to say.

That's why we need to pull back from following the rest of the world and remember what we're doing here. We're not trying to gain attention. We're not bartering for approval. We're not on a mission to beat the surrounding heathenish horde into submitting to our beliefs. We are not here to convince people to accept Christ into their lives, their minds, their hearts. We are simply here to help them learn that they have that opportunity. Whether or not they accept Him as their Lord is between them and Him. We're just the conduit.

But so often, we adopt this lifestyle in which we carry ourselves like those Pharisees that Christ had so much fun with back in the day. We come across as these overly religious wackos whose only purpose in existing is to look down on others and stand in judgement of all they fail to agree with. Again, not our job. But sadly, much of what the world thinks of faith is in reality nothing but a man-made religion focused on giving humans this ability to think they're somehow better than other people simply because they’ve chosen to follow a few more rules than most.

And that, my friends, is worthless. You see, it's easy to call ourselves Christians and yet fail in basically every possible way to actually live a life that glorifies the Name in which we now identify. It's easy for us to go about our daily lives fighting and bickering and arguing and screaming along with the rest of this chaotic society and still think we're somehow making a difference. It's easy for us to assume that just because we speak religiously that we're making an impact, when in all actuality, all we're doing is giving people a few more reasons to detest the idea of faith.

If we walk around proclaiming the Name and yet failing to echo His example then we're really not living by or for faith. We're simply living like the rest of the world and calling ourselves by a different name so that we think that we're different. The vast expanse between faith and religion is one that grows wider by the day and yet fails to be noticed by most. But if we're to truly live by faith and fulfill our calling to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ in this place, then we'd better learn that difference and live lives that testify to our understanding of it.

You see, being a Christian isn't about this free rein to do as we please. It's not a ticket to continue seeking our own gain or glory. It's not about us getting attention, and yet sadly, that is in fact easily seen in much of today's "Christianity". We see a lot of "Hey, look at me." We hear a whole bunch of noise with very little fruit being gathered. We see a ton of passion, yet it's not necessarily for souls. We hear more messages patting people on the back than calling them to turn back to Christ. We simply see a whole lot of religion and a very scant amount of faithful service.

Friends, our words and actions tell the world everything they need to know about who we are and what we believe and what it is that we're trying to accomplish. So if screaming and yelling are our game, then people will assume we're playing for attention. If acting a fool is our approach, then they'll rightly assume that we're no different than the rest of the fools in this place. If we call ourselves Christians and yet do not keep a tight rein on our tongues, our hearts, our minds, our lives, then everything we do is worthless.

Does that hurt? Absolutely. Do we need it? You better believe it!

God doesn't call us to spend our lives seeking attention or praise or glory or fame or fortune or anything else that benefits us. This isn't about us. Our faith is built on this truth in which we must die to self in order to live for Christ. So if we are truly Christians, seeking our own gain is as foolish and pointless as it gets because we claim we've already died. And if we've died, we've got nothing left to gain here. So if our faith is merely a religion based on making noise rather than impact, then we are in fact worthless in this mission to which we've been called.

Messages so easily get lost in an excess of words. The more we say, the less is heard. The more words we use, the less they mean. The louder we get, the less people listen. If we do not keep a very close eye on everything we say, we may very well find ourselves uttering things that not only don't match up with our faith but could very well be damaging to it. And as I've been saying in nearly every post over the last several days, we simply cannot risk tarnishing the Gospel with our inept ability to act wisely.

Look, we can consider ourselves religious. We can call ourselves Christians. We can wear all the golden necklaces and faith-based t-shirts and cross tattoos that we can fit on our bodies. But if our lives don't point people to Christ, then all of it is worthless.

Again, we have to understand our role in this story. It's not to force people to listen. It's not to appease the crowd with words that tickle their ears or cater to their opinions. It's not to seek our own gain in any way whatsoever. Our role is to share the Word of God that helps save lives through transforming souls. We do so by carrying ourselves in a manner that makes it perfectly clear that we mean everything we say, not by simply talking a lot hoping that our excessive noise will garner attention and lead to acceptance.

Like I said, it all matters. Yes, we have rules and expectations and a perfect example in which to aim. But we can’t forget that all of those rules and expectations are there to guide us, not simply provide a checklist. We have a responsibility to live Christian lives and not just claim we’re doing so. It all has to match. Our every word carries the power of both life and death. We can either point people toward Christ or encourage them to keep running from Him. And that’s why it all matters, because we’re only pointing in one of two directions: toward the world or toward Jesus.

Friends, there is so much on the line in this life. We are responsible for both living our lives according to our faith and also sharing the truth it's built upon with everyone else. Don't lose that amidst a bunch of rules or expectations or hopes of a life in which you get a starring role. This is all for Him because it’s all from Him, and without Him, none of us have any hope left. So keep your words wise, your actions the same, and remember what's on the line. The message is salvation through repentance that brings redemption. Anything more than that is just a distraction, and quite possibly a detraction.

And we just can't risk living our lives according to a worthless religion that accomplishes nothing but getting us noticed because we say a lot without ever saying what matters.

#LeaveNoSoulUntold