In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. – Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
What does it mean to live your faith? Does it mean that we go around telling the world with our words or do we let our lives do the talking?
Some people are very comfortable with letting their words speak for them. While some do it well, there are others that overdo it. They want people to know that they follow God and follow what it says in the Bible. While this is something, we all must do, some end up boasting and taking on a “look at me” attitude. In the end it becomes all about them and not about God.
Our lives should reflect our faith. Words can be misleading and easily taken the wrong way. Actions, as they say, do speak louder than words. The way we act and respond indicates to others what we really feel and think.
Some people like spouting how religious they are. They use this brand of religion to go about justifying why they do certain things and they use the Bible has a prop to make their point.
Using the Bible as a prop can be a very dangerous thing. Our human way of thinking and seeing things can cloud what the Bible is really saying. The Bible should be our guide to the way we should be living. The way Jesus lived his life is shown in the four gospels. We should use the Bible to make people understand why we live the way we live. If we use the Bible to the point of becoming a religious zealot, then we have missed the point.
What is the point? The point is that the way we live in some ways is the only Bible some people see. For some, it will not be the words of the Bible that speak to them but the way we live those words. That is why it is so important that we do not become fanatical but faithful.
Being faithful means that we understand what the Bible is saying, and we live our lives according to it. We shouldn’t take on a holier than thou attitude when we around those who don’t live or believe the same things we do. Ramming the Bible down someone’s throat, as some religious people have a habit of doing, will not make them come to Jesus. The way we live our lives will.
When people see the way you act and live, they will become curious and want to know more. Eventually, they too will know that what is inside and knowing what motivates us is more important than a bunch of words. In the end, they will know that the Bible is not just a bunch of words but a guide on how you should live your faith.
Originally published January 2020