Being a child of God brings with it some awesome responsibilities. One of the most troublesome is that it is not enough to just "Talk, the talk" we are required to "Walk, the walk," following in the foot steps of Our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ.
As Christians we like to Talk the talk (discuss the depth of our faith.) Yet this is not enough, as we are reminded in the Epistle of James:
" But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
(James 3:18)
" Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
(James 3:17)
From the above verses we can see that it is of greater importance to Walk the walk, we can talk all we want; but, if our faith does not cause us to act then it is worthless.
To walk the Christian walk is totally alien to our humanity. Pride, greed, lust, deceitfulness, and anger all provide stumbling blocks to our walk. As do, striving for: career advancement; self-gratification; personal recognition; control over our lives; and not being satisfied with what we have.
We are called to be humble and truthful. Dealing with others in the same manner we want them to deal with us. Acknowledging that control of our lives is in the hands of Our Heavenly Father, who provides all that we need. Being as, or more, concerned about others as we are about ourselves.
It is much easier for us to testify (talk) about Our Lord & Savior than to proclaim Him through an unworldly lifestyle (walk). Yet we are called to do both. Not because it earns us points, or favor, with Our Heavenly Father; but, because that is the way He wants us to be. We as fleshly creatures will never attain perfection in these requirements; but we are called to strive for perfection. When one of the stumbling blocks trip us up, we are required to get up, acknowledge our mistake(s), ask for help, and keep striving secure in the knowledge that He is with us to help, guide, and uplift.
A lifetime of talking about our faith, can be undone in another person's eyes by our actions. I am reminded of the old, tried, & true statement:
"Actions speak louder than words!"
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Don't just Talk, walk the walk
page updated 04/02/2011.