Practicing What We Preach

It seems every day I come in contact with someone who is calling himself or herself a Christian who isn't living a Christ-like life. How can that be?

Is this just a matter of semantics? You say tomato and I say tomahto.

Is it simply that I consider a Christian to be someone who follows Christ's teachings to the best of his or her ability, while you consider a Christian to be simply a good person? Jesus said that whoever loves Him would keep His commands (John 14:21). Doesn't that define the essence of Christianity?

As a pastor and a devout Christian, I struggle with this daily. How can so many in the Church feel it's acceptable to live carnal Christian lives filled with self-will and selfish determination and believe that to be acceptable to our Lord? Too many in the Church demand their own way, criticize everyone they disagree with, lie, cheat and steal as if they are no different from those who don't claim to know Christ. How can that be? How do we justify that behavior?

Christianity is a state of being. It's to be lived not simply spoken.

Bruce Carroll's song, "I'd Rather See a Sermon," speaks to this issue so well...

I'd rather see a sermon than to hear one anyday
I'd rather one would walk with me
Than merely show the way
Actions speak much louder
Than all the words can say
That's why I'd rather see a sermon
Than to hear one anyday.

Lord, help us to practice what we preach. How can we ever hope to win the hearts of those who don't know Jesus unless we do?