Off Your Sleeve and Out of Your Mouth
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t wear my faith on my sleeve”?
The issue is not what’s on your sleeve. The issue is what’s in your mouth! Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Is Christ in your conversations, in your emails, on your myspace or web blogs? Do you find yourself thinking and speaking to others about Jesus? Do you ever share what God has done in your life with your family members and co-workers?
“But Chris, you don’t understand… that is not my personality.”
“If you knew how I was raised, you would understand that our family doesn’t operate that way.”
“It’s easy for you. You are a pastor!”
I want to suggest that it is not an issue of personality or family
up-bringing or even calling… it’s very simply a heart issue. The Bible says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) A few chapters later, as we have already read… the mouth speaks about what is bubbling up inside our heart, that which we treasure!
Let me give you a few illustrations… What do sports fanatics talk about? What do young lovers write about? When a passionate activist goes to the nation’s capital to participate in a million-man march, is there even a slight chance that the people who know her will not know why she is going?
The truth is, we are created to worship. Since the beginning of time, people have never ceased to worship. The world is not lacking great worshippers. Everyone, everywhere has something that takes the highest place of value in his heart. We all treasure something!
Some people live for their wealth or health. Some place most of their time and energies into a significant relationship. Others value a cause above all else. Riches, people, ideas… we all place the most value on something or
someone. And that is the object of our worship… our treasure! The mouth speaks and we worship!!!
Is Jesus important to you? Do you value God’s Word? Are you interested in being used of God to build His Kingdom?
Don’t tell me what you believe… live what you believe and you will find yourself sharing your life with others!
We cannot be silent concerning who Christ is… the Son of the living God! The gospel message is that Jesus is God and there are no others! We have to stop making excuses for our inactivity, shyness, and lack of boldness in proclaiming the works, claims, and character of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is your treasure, proclaim Him with your mouth!
Have you ever heard someone say, “I don’t wear my faith on my sleeve”?
The issue is not what’s on your sleeve. The issue is what’s in your mouth! Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34). Is Christ in your conversations, in your emails, on your myspace or web blogs? Do you find yourself thinking and speaking to others about Jesus? Do you ever share what God has done in your life with your family members and co-workers?
“But Chris, you don’t understand… that is not my personality.”
“If you knew how I was raised, you would understand that our family doesn’t operate that way.”
“It’s easy for you. You are a pastor!”
I want to suggest that it is not an issue of personality or family
up-bringing or even calling… it’s very simply a heart issue. The Bible says, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21) A few chapters later, as we have already read… the mouth speaks about what is bubbling up inside our heart, that which we treasure!
Let me give you a few illustrations… What do sports fanatics talk about? What do young lovers write about? When a passionate activist goes to the nation’s capital to participate in a million-man march, is there even a slight chance that the people who know her will not know why she is going?
The truth is, we are created to worship. Since the beginning of time, people have never ceased to worship. The world is not lacking great worshippers. Everyone, everywhere has something that takes the highest place of value in his heart. We all treasure something!
Some people live for their wealth or health. Some place most of their time and energies into a significant relationship. Others value a cause above all else. Riches, people, ideas… we all place the most value on something or
someone. And that is the object of our worship… our treasure! The mouth speaks and we worship!!!
Is Jesus important to you? Do you value God’s Word? Are you interested in being used of God to build His Kingdom?
Don’t tell me what you believe… live what you believe and you will find yourself sharing your life with others!
We cannot be silent concerning who Christ is… the Son of the living God! The gospel message is that Jesus is God and there are no others! We have to stop making excuses for our inactivity, shyness, and lack of boldness in proclaiming the works, claims, and character of Jesus Christ. If Jesus is your treasure, proclaim Him with your mouth!
posted by The Austin Project at 1:26 PM
3 Comments:
Thanks for your email! Here in Regensburg we just had a storm warning so I've been bringing in all my flower boxes from the balcony. No I did not get married but am using a pen name for my writing career. If you visit my blog and click on the banner at the top, everything is there.
Good to hear from you!
Grace
I like your idea. The one challenge I find, in myself atleast, isn't that I don't know or care to talk about what God's doing in and around my life... it's noticing what God is doing in and around my life. That's what makes characters like Francis of Assisi and Brother Lawrence so compelling to me, that their lives were filled with the awareness of God's Presence.
In those times when I'm paying enough attention to see God in the ordinary places (grocery store, classroom, outsied) the words don't seem to have any trouble coming. What I need, more than words (to quote Tesla, as I'm prone to do), is the vision of God in my every day life.
Great thoughts. Oh, and Grace, it's Jason from the group that came to visit you guys. It's REALLY good to see you(re name on the blog). Hope all is well. Keep in touch.
Amen brother!
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