I think every true believer has the desire to defend the Christian Faith. Our greatest stumbling block, many times, is the inconsistant manner in which we live out the practical life of obedience and faith. I had to read this little spiritual brain teaser a couple of times before the light came on. "Your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks!" You may ask, "What does that mean?" I would answer, "depends on how you look at it!" If you're looking  for perfection, then that's an indictment. If you're looking for direction then that's enlightenment. The Apostle Paul himself reminds us that becoming like Jesus is   a process for the believer. A process with an obvious beginning point, but   without an end! " . . . we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2Cor. 3:18) Paul immediately cautions us, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." (2Cor. 4:7) Simply put, God is still working on me!

Why not look at the Christian life like Chuck Colson's recent statement implies- "Christianity doesn"t make people perfect. But it does make us better than we would have been without it. Remove the restraint of God's law, and the worst barbarism breaks forth." C.S. Lewis put it this way. "A crotchety old lady may be considered a poor witness for Christian faith. But who is to say how much more cantankerous she might be if she were not a Christian? And a nonbeliever who is a gentle, pleasant fellow- who is to say how much better he might be were he a Christian?" Despite our human faults, Christianity has made the world and the people in it, not perfect, but far better than they would have been without it. An old southern gospel song put it this way: "I know I'm not the man I ought to be, many times I fall short of what I should be, but thank God I'm not the man I   used to be!"

I've been tempted to think on occasion, what a glamorous life it would be, to be intellectually superior to all the detractors of Christianity, to defend the faith with eloquent poise and power, and there have been only a few choice individuals  who have made a difference in their world this way. In his book, "A Gentle Thunder" Max Lucado put it this way: "You want to make a difference in your world? Live a holy life! Be faithful to your spouse. Be the one at the office who refuses to cheat. Be the neighbor who acts neighborly. Be the employee who does the work and doesn't complain. Pay your bills. Do your part and enjoy life. Don't speak one message and live another. People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say." I get it! The Christian life is more effectively demonstrated than it is eloquently defended. God calls all of us to be Christ-like in the daily grind of ordinary life. This is true for all of us because  "your walk talks and your talk talks but your walk talks louder than your talk talks!" Keep walking!

PG

Work, . . . Duty , Dignity or both

 The present economic downturn has brought a new level of stress to the workplace. Everyone at all levels of employment are experiencing it. Owners, supervisors, managers, employees- none are exempt from the all encompassing cloud of "uncertainty" that permeates the work environment.

 In times of economic uncertainty Christians can remain certain of God's truth! God's Word tells us a few things about our work. Colossians 3:17 tells us that we are more than representatives of the company we work for, we are representatives of the Lord Jesus and we should give thanks to Him. How long has it been since you looked at a co-worker and said, "I really do thank God for this place!" Ephesians 6:6-7 suggests that we are to please our employer at all times, not just when they are looking. Verse seven admonishes us to work with enthusiasm as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. When you have the perspective that you are actually working for God, the daily task becomes less of a grind and you begin to see the bigger picture as to why God has you where you are. We then begin to derive our value not from the work alone, but from the One for whom we work.

 At its best your work should honor God and bring meaning and a sense of satisfaction to your life. Work is a part of God's plan for your life and your work matters to God. There is dignity in all honest human labor. Christians are needed in all kinds of vocations. Whatever your job, God has placed you there for a reason. Do your work to the best of your ability as a service to God and others until God opens a door of opportunity for you to move on. May God bless you and strengthen you in your Work!

PG