Being and Doing

My wife has said lots to me about the importance of "being" in terms of our relationship with God. And I have to say that is the most important. I guess when I look at it though, I focus heavily on the doing side. Maybe too much.

We cannot do unless we be--our actions come out of who we are--the character we have, what God has developed in us. But actions should follow.

One of the first devotions I ever gave was from James 1, when I was back in college (probably my sophomore year). They asked me to do a Baptist Student Union chapel devotion. I selected "being doers of the Word, not hearers only who deceive themselves."

So often, in my own life, I find the breakdown in my Christian life has been "doing" the "being"--living out the values that I have--living the things I preached or told others to do. I have even thought that maybe the difference between the "milk of the Word" and the "meat of the Word" is the difference between what I believe or know and what I do. Milk = believe or know; meat = acting beliefs out, living the Word.

Even today, at 59, I still struggle to live out my beliefs about witnessing to people about Christ. I believe it, but it is hard to do it, to live it out. Pray for me that I will put more of my beliefs into action--into living life with the two--being and doing--matching up.

Where are you today, my friend? Where do you struggle? There has to be a strong relationship with God for us to survive and conquer. But there also needs to be a practice of the Word in life that shows what we really believe and honors God out of our love and obedience to Him.