Does your talk match your life? Most of us don’t do well on such thoughts, but we should. Reading a book three times and using it in a women’s Bible Study by Francis Chan, Crazy Love, inspired this story. Do we truly trust Christ and believe what He promises in His Word? Scriptures such as, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” and “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,” are planted firmly in our hearts. Yet, we live as if we are the ones in control, right? We plan our lives thinking everything will be just fine even if God doesn’t come through. Where is our faith while professing God’s got it all, but we keep control of the reins … just in case? True faith means holding nothing back and putting all hope in God and His promises.

How we live, decisions we make, thinking and discerning how God would have us live causes us to do life in the most loving way. Chan challenges readers to ask, ‘Am I loving my neighbor and my God by living where I live, by driving what I drive, by talking how I talk?’ The commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself shows the importance God puts on treating people, all people, with love and respect. Chan urges readers to think about such things as loving all people, actually living as though each person we come in contact with is Christ. Talking about entertaining angels, what about meeting Jesus unaware? Walking the walk that matches our talk pleases our Father and puts us in prime position to share the love of the Lord everywhere we go. Often, we get excited with great moments in our lives only to lose our luster for the Lord when the limelight dims. Christian retreats, mission trips, praise and worship encounters provide memories of closeness to Christ. Experiencing difficult seasons of loss and heartache causes us to walk step by step beside our Savior, promising to make changes and model our lives after Christ. We should be very careful of the promises we make to the Master during such seasons. When the winds of time blow in new seasons, often our promises are forgotten and we go back to business as usual…without walking the walk we so boldly declared when we were in sync with our Savior. When people speak up and allow God to use their creative gifts to help others, folks watch and wait, wondering if their walk with the Lord and talk professing love and loyalty to God is really real. Therefore, we must make good choices and live in obedience to our Lord and what He has called us to do. God made us in His image to do great things and spread the good news of His love and promise of everlasting life. Our uniqueness is a gift from our Creator. Our walk, our talk, our way of doing things to grow His Kingdom is different, but who is to say one person does it right while the other is wrong. When we are real in our talk and walk, people will see our love for the Lord and for life is genuine.

Paul tells this truth in 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.”

You read it right friends. God created us as individuals, unique, creative people to accomplish different things throughout the world. We may not be foreign missionaries, but He can use us to witness and work with people in need right here at home. Standing in the pulpit preaching may not be what He planned for you, while working with the youth in your church may fit you to a tee. When we walk the walk of what we talk and follow what He has called us to do, we make Him proud of His precious children. We may do it differently, but what’s important is ‘just doing it’ … listening, obeying, and enjoying our walk with the Lord.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” John 14:15 He didn’t tell us to obey Him if we feel like it or when we feel called to obey. He said we would obey if we loved Him. Being obedient to God shows our walk of faith is real.

Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Are you obeying what you know He has called you to do? Are you lukewarm, doing very little while expecting a lot from the Lord? Is your passion for loving and serving Christ burning as brightly today as when you made a commitment to Him in your time of need, or in a great revival, or in a powerful retreat, or in praise and worship when His sweet Spirit swept you off your feet? Jesus is watching and waiting, wondering when we will turn to Him and trust Him to make things right and good in our lives.

Our greatest blessings come when we see God work in situations when He comes through with signs, wonders, and miracles that remind us of His power and promise. The times you and your loved ones have faced when all you had to hold onto was faith in God are the most meaningful and satisfying of your life. It’s in these times when our walk must match our talk. When we trust and obey through thick and thin, we truly experience life and God.