goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

So, What Do You Do?

By Linda Tancs

Everyone inevitably encounters the question, “So, what do you do?” In the physical realm, you have your “day job.” Maybe it’s performing world-class brain surgery or keeping the home fires burning. In the spiritual realm, though, we all have the same job description—you’re an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20), an envoy of love (Ephesians 5:1-2). Discipleship isn’t just something that happened over 2,000 years ago and now we just fondly recall the actions of a dedicated group. We’re the hands and feet of God in this world, made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27) to do good works (Matthew 5:16).

 

A popular expression exhorts us to “preach at all times; use words only when necessary.” The gist of it is that actions speak louder than words. Sometimes, the best sermon you’ll hear is the one that you see.

goforwardinfaith Christianity, Religion, Theology

A Voice of One

By Linda Tancs

John the Baptist identified himself as the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness (John 1:23). Do you sometimes feel like a voice of one? Are you a non-conformist? John certainly was; he lived alone in the desert, adorned in camel’s hair, eating locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:3-4).

John had the privilege—and grace—of not being seduced by majority rule or peer pressure. In our modern day it may sometimes seem easier to conform. We’re afraid to stand alone, worried about being set aside. Paul’s first-century dictate not to be conformed to this world may seem impossible, even dangerous, in today’s society (Romans 12:2). But the more we conform, the less able we are to discern and follow the righteous path, to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1-2). We run the risk of following the masses in doing evil (Exodus 23:2).

As a teenage motto reminded me years ago, stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.