When I was in middle school, I was the only gifted kid (see above re: nerd) to make it on the basketball team. I had no friends on the team, and was seen as the weird outcast girl. I wasn't cool, and I wasn't popular, so I got picked on every practice, by this one girl in particular. I'll blog about her again one day, cause it's a good story, but the short of it is that she would pick on me. At first it was little things, like she would whip the ball at me... Dude, we're on the same team. So my mom said that I should ignore it and maybe it was just her actions... But she didn't actually feel that way... Then she started cussing at me, and made fun of my late puberty-ness. Yea, not fun changing after practice. Then it was incredibly clear, that not only did her actions hurt my body, but her words crushed my spirit. Mean girl.
In some way, words speak much louder than actions. In the book of Matthew, Jesus was questioned as to what kind of foods people should eat or not eat. His response:
Matthew 15:10-11,15-20 (NLT)
Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "Listen," he said, "and try to understand. [11] It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." [15] Then Peter said to Jesus, "Explain to us the parable that says people aren't defiled by what they eat." [16] "Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked. [17] "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. [18] But the words you speak come from the heart-that's what defiles you. [19] For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. [20] These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you."
A few of the kids that I had to mentor in the past asked me a question about drinking. Newly heading into university, I was nervous for them, and wanted to be able to tell them the right answers. To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing in the bible that says Christians should not drink. (I'm not a pastor or seminary student, but I don't think I'm wrong.) It doesn't say that you shouldn't swear either. However, it does say that from a good well, good water flows, and from a bad well, bad water flows. So. If Christ really is within your heart and this is something that you proclaim, then theoretically, certain behaviors should not come naturally. Those who cuss left, right and center ought to question if their behavior is indicative of the incredible changing power Christ has caused in our lives.
In the same way, faith brings about good deeds and good fruit. If we live double lives that ever leave those around us in doubt as to whether or not we have been changed, then really the answer is that we have not.
The challenge: Is it incredibly evident by how you live your life, by how you respond to situations, by your habits and your reputation, by your casual behaviours, by what you say and do, that you are a follower of Christ?
