Beyond Think & Say
By
Lexi Ellis
“…and
what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and
to walk humbly with your God?”
Micah
6:8b (ESV)
We live in a time of
overwhelming spiritual capability and resources. Unlike past-century
Christians, we have access to extensive amounts of theological commentaries and
books, beautiful amounts of traditions, collections of hymns and liturgies,
churches and leaders, freedom to worship freely and technological abilities
that connect with us with other believers and ideas. Additionally, we have the
privilege of a complete cannon of Scripture and a Holy Spirit who dwells in
believers to convict and comfort.
We are incredibly
blessed. And yet, I wonder if we, at times, get in a rut of Christian living
compared to the authenticity of our Christian ancestors who knew persecution at
a much deeper level. Despite having an amazing amount of resources, despite
having easier access to know the right things to say and think…acting on our faith is harder.
Mark Batterson, a
pastor and writer, puts it this way: “Have we accepted a Christianity that is
more educated but less powerful, more civilized but less compassionate, more
acceptable but less authentic?” [1]
The incredible
blessings of resources we have for spiritual development at our fingertips
isn’t inherently a bad thing. The tragedy is how often we fool ourselves into
believing that saying and thinking is enough. In an age where we have the
capability of understanding needs at a greater level than ever before, how
often do we shy away from actually doing something for God. Batterson goes on
to say:
“At the end of the day, God is not going to say well-thought or well-said to His servants. There’s only one commendation and it’s this: ‘well-done good and faithful servant.’ It’s time to make a difference. It’s time to care. It’s time to act. That’s how we get unstuck.” [1]
“At the end of the day, God is not going to say well-thought or well-said to His servants. There’s only one commendation and it’s this: ‘well-done good and faithful servant.’ It’s time to make a difference. It’s time to care. It’s time to act. That’s how we get unstuck.” [1]
As we begin a new year,
what do we need to do to go beyond what we think and what we say? How should we
restructure our time to serve others? How should we pray for open doors to be a
light? What can we do? I am so incredibly grateful for the extensive amounts of
resources that allow me to strengthen and deepen my faith through what I know
and say. May we, as believers, be those who go beyond what we say and know…and
do something.
GOING DEEPER:
1.
What do you need to do differently in 2015 to actively live out your
faith?
2.
What steps do you need to take so that you are actively doing…beyond just
saying and thinking godly things?
FURTHER READING:
[1] Mark Batterson, Unstuck: Moving from the Mundane to the
Meaningful Bible study, Bluefish,
2013. Available for Oakwood attenders on RightNow Media.
Lexi
is married to Andrew and has an adorable puppy named Calvin. She teaches sixth
grade at Silver Lake Intermediate School, serves with Children’s Ministries and
is the Fresh Start Coordinator.
