“Well done is better than well said.” – Benjamin Franklin
So many things in this world are easier said than done. Living the Christian life is definitely one of them! Telling others about our beliefs, principles, and values (and in my case, writing about them) is like rowing a canoe downstream. It doesn’t take much effort to brag about virtuous Christian standards surrounding love, forgiveness, obedience, and self-control. With great ease we can tell others to turn the other cheek when being abused, to love their friends and family unconditionally, or to cast away any and all temptations that arise.
But living the Christian life is more than talk. It goes beyond our ability to quote a scripture, give godly, righteous advice to someone, or to boastfully espouse our beliefs on others. Christianity isn’t about the sermon, it’s about what we do after we hear it.
We can recite, enumerate, or narrate all we like, but it really all boils down to our choices, our actions, and our behaviors. Living out or acting out our Christian values each day is where the proverbial rubber meets the road.
With that said, here’s the obvious problem: Living the Christian life is practically impossible. Failure is almost certain. Unfortunately, I know this firsthand from my own personal experiences. When it comes to my own Christian walk, I’ve stumbled and fell more than I’ve stood tall and walked steady. I’ve failed, tried again, and failed again.
Some days, I’ve focused on the futility of it all and just wanted to give up entirely. This kind of frustration, humanity failing to live up to the standards of divinity, has caused many to abandon their religious beliefs due to feelings of inadequacy, insufficiency, and incompetence.
How about you? Have you ever felt like living the Christian life was impossible, too difficult, or too overwhelming? Have you tried to live right, failed, tried again, and failed again? Have you ever felt like giving up on Christianity because it seemed more like a theory then a reality?
If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you’re not alone. Even the Apostle Paul, the man responsible for writing a majority of the New Testament, knew what it was like to fail at living the Christian life.
“I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep doing!” – Romans 7:18-19 NIV
So, if Christianity is all about our actions, and even the Apostle Paul had difficulty mastering it, how can we walk the talk ourselves? How can we truly live out the Christian life each day?
Focus on One Small Thing within a Thing
“Little by little, one travels far.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
Take a moment to think about your spiritual side – how you love, how much you trust, your level of faithfulness, servant-hood, self-control, or obedience. What aspects of your Christian walk currently shine bright? Where do you feel like you are falling short when it comes to walking and living out the Christian life versus merely talking about it?
If you’re like me, the list can be overwhelming. This is why it’s so important to choose just one aspect, just one thing, one spiritual attribute to focus on for the time being.
Once you’ve identified a specific area where spiritual growth is needed, look for one small thing within that area to begin consciously sowing good seeds to improve that specific aspect of your Christian walk.
As an example, let’s say you identified obedience as one thing you needed to focus on in order to “walk the talk” of your Christianity. Well, obedience casts a very broad shadow across all areas of your life. My advice to you is to focus on “one small thing within a thing” – one tiny area of your life where you need to become more obedient. Instead of attempting to become more obedient in all aspects of your Christian walk at once, start out with one small thing, just one act of obedience that will get you walking the right direction.
Maybe it’s obedience within your marriage relationship – practicing submission or loving unconditionally. Maybe it’s obedience regarding a specific temptation that has been difficult for you to overcome. Limiting your focus will increase your chances for success. Remember that whatever we sow, we reap (Galatians 6:7). One specific act of obedience will produce more obedience across other aspects of your life. The same can be said of any spiritual attribute. One specific act of faithfulness will lead to stronger faith in other areas of your life.
I’ll give you a personal example. I’ve always had an issue with trust. I never felt comfortable if I wasn’t in control, so naturally trusting God was a part of my Christian walk that was difficult for me. Trusting God is easy to talk about, but hard to do when faced with uncertainty.
So, my “thing” was trust. My “one small thing within a thing” was narrowing my focus on trusting God with my future. I’ve always had difficulty worrying about what the future has in store for me, especially in the moments of my life when it seemed cloudy or unclear.
Each night before falling asleep, I would pray like this:
“Lord, I don’t know how tomorrow will turn out, but I trust that you do, and I trust that you will make a way for me. Help me to be sensitive to how you are working in my life tomorrow. Plant deep within my mind an unshakable confidence in you and your sovereign control within my life. Guide me tomorrow along the path that you have chosen for me and help me to faithfully understand that my times are in your Hands.”
Because I was specifically focused on trusting God with my tomorrows, I became more aware of God’s presence within them. I looked for God as each day unfolded – watching how He worked within my circumstances. When I needed guidance, I stopped listened and prayed – trusting the right direction would be revealed.
As time passed, I began to trust God more and more. It started with trusting Him as I faced uncertainty about tomorrow, and it has grown into trusting Him in many other aspects of my life in a much deeper way than before.
If you feel like you’re giving lip service to your Christian life, struggling with walking and practicing it in a deeper, more meaningful way, begin by identifying one aspect of your spirituality where you would like to improve. Then, pick one small thing within that area to focus on and watch how it grows, expands and multiplies.
Realize You Cannot Do it on Your Own
Here is a truth I learned just a few short years ago: Without Christ, everything we attempt to do in our own strength will fail.
“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” – John 15: 4-5 NIV
If you are trying to walk the Christian life in your own strength, and like Paul, continue to come up short every time, realize that it’s an impossible task without Christ. Paul said, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God – through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 6:24-25 NIV)
Paul knew in his own strength it was impossible to “walk the talk” of the Christian life. He realized that Christ was his only hope to do so.
It seems so simple, but we quickly forget how much we need a Savior to help us become the person God intended us to be. We arrogantly believe we can do it ourselves, that we must earn our Christianity – embracing the legalistic viewpoint that we gain salvation through our good works. We forget that no one is perfect. We forget the reason why Christ was sent to this world in the first place, not to condemn, but to save.
Instead of walking away from Christianity because it seems too impossible, too rigid, and too unrealistic to live out, we must learn to see the CHRIST in CHRISTianity. He is at the center of our ability to walk in the Christian life instead of merely talking about it.
In the personal example I mentioned earlier, notice how Christ was the driving force behind my ability to trust. My nighttime prayer invited Him into my circumstances – acknowledging that only He could help me learn to trust in a deeper way.
Whatever area of your Christian walk has you stumbling right now, invite Christ into that place. Focus on that “one small thing” and with expectancy, watch how God begins to work.
Remember, as you begin “walking the talk” you will most certainly fail. Walking the Christian life means seeking forgiveness, redemption, guidance and the strength to endure each and every day. Notice how Christ is at the center of each 🙂
May God bless you as you “walk the talk” – leaning on Him with each step you take!
