AuburnChick's Adventures

I don’t know about you, but I read blogs…quite a few, in fact.  These blogs encompass different areas of interest…Christianity, knitting and couponing.

One blog I subscribed to a few weeks ago was Provers 31 Ministries:  Daily Devotions.  You guys…this is one you will want to subscribe to in your blog reader (or email, if that’s how you receive feeds).

I love this blog because the truths are hard-hitting, making you catch your breath as conviction sets in.  That’s a good thing, by the way, as it is my opinion that the scariest thing is apathy.

Today’s post on that blog is titled “What Does it Mean to Believe?”

Go read it.

I’ll wait.

Hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm hmmm.

Did you read it or are you skipping down to see what else I’ve got to say?

LOL

Well, I DID read it (of course), and oh my.  It was almost like hearing a really good sermon.  It was something I could totally identify with.

See, I live in the South.

The “real” South, as in Bible Belt South.

It’s a given that you believe in God down here.

I grew up in the South and moved to South Florida, or what I not-so-affectionately refer to as “Little New York,” (sorry my northern friends).

Just cause you live down South doesn’t mean you’re in the South.  Southerners will understand.

Anyhow…

When we back to the “real” South from Little New York, I was THRILLED!  As we house-hunted, we saw Bibles out on tables, crosses on the walls, etc.  Basically, we eyed tangible “evidence” that “Jesus Believers” lived in those homes.

I was so happy!  I had just come from a place where I was the minority.

Folks, as I started making new friends and spent time really getting to know them, I figured out something.

These people believed in Jesus, but they didn’t really know Him.  And obeying Him?  Well, this principle was given lip service.

Now, I’m not trying to sound judgmental, because I am not even going there.  I am fully aware that my life does not reflect obedience 100% of the time.  We won’t play the Price is Right game of “Lower/Higher.”  I’d embarrass myself.

But you see what I’m saying?

It’s easy to claim you believe in something or someone, but it’s another thing entirely to ACT on that belief.

Take, for instance, a cause you might “believe” in.  Let’s say couponing (boy, I didn’t have to stretch my brain too much to get that idea, eh?).

Couponing is something I really believe in.

It’s not something I pay lip service to, occasionally clipping a coupon.

Oh no.  I have talked about it to almost everyone I’ve encountered.  I have even gone out of my way in the grocery store to inform a shopper that the item she is purchasing is B1G1, and that the Yellow Advantage Flyer has coupons that she can use to get them almost free.

Folks, I’ve shared so much that I now have converts.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding.

Belief is action.

Obedience.

Willingness to be changed.

Now, couponing has “rules” that I have a much easier time bending to than, say, God’s Word.  His standards are so high that sometimes I feel overwhelmed or I just don’t wanna (I’m sounding like a kid now).

But still, I do try.

My belief is not mere words that come from my mouth.  It manifests itself in the way I conduct myself, hold others accountable, and am held accountable.

There are times when I do the right thing (i.e. follow God’s way) and not my own desires.  Granted, these times aren’t as often as they should be, but they do happen.

I guess my overall point is that I challenge you to examine what you believe.  Are you just spouting off stuff you’ve heard others share without backing it up with action?  Do you really believe in THE God who sent His Son to die because of YOUR sin?  Are you willing to allow that belief to change your life?

Last Spring, I had the opportunity to talk, at length, with a student.  I had been subbing in his classroom on-and-off for a few weeks.

This was a troubled young man…always up to no good.  However, he was always respectful to me to the point that he would actually show up for class if he found out I was subbing in it.

One day, while the class was watching a movie, we had a chat.  He told me his girlfriend was pregnant (I already knew this)…for the second time.  They were both juniors.

He told me he was a Christian, and that he went to church every week.

Alarm bells went off in my head.

I know that everyone makes mistakes, no matter if you’re a Christian or not.  However, he told me that he just couldn’t stop having a physical relationship with his girlfriend, even though he knew it was wrong.

I wondered if he really believed.  You see, he wasn’t willing to change his life to follow his belief in God.  I walked away from the conversation with a very heavy heart.

Do you see why the post I linked to above really hit home for me?  It’s something I experience in my own life and something I witness every day.  I’d venture to bet that you do too.

Don’t be like me and assume that you or others believe just because they wear crosses on their necklaces, know a few Bible verses, or attend church regularly.  When someone tells you they believe in God, question them further.  Ask the hard questions without judging because we are pretty much all in the same boat…sinners in need of a Savior.  Examine your own life and see what fruits you are producing.

And then go and REALLY believe.

Filed under: Christian | Tagged: belief, Christianity |