You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but according to the writer of Titus you certainly can tell by the way a person lives whether he or she has faith in God. “They profess to know God,” we read, “but they deny him by their actions” (Titus 1:16a). I shudder to think what this means for me because I know there are times when I do not display godly living…like when I’m driving. It’s not that I try to run over pedestrians or play demolition derby, it’s just that I lose patience. Getting caught behind someone driving 20 in a 35 mph zone is frustrating to me. So is having someone ride my bumper when I think I’m going fast enough. Timid people in the left turn lane, drivers who slow to look at street numbers, those who dart out in front of me and then drive more slowly than I was going, these are the sorts of situations that get me riled up, and I know that other drivers can tell.
So what sort of message am I sending? I claim to know God and to be a follower of Jesus Christ. I have accepted the responsibility of ordained ministry. But on those occasions when I pound on the steering wheel or shake my head with disdain I am setting a pretty sorry example. I should be more spiritually mature, more forgiving of others the way God is forgiving of me. But…
The challenge is to live as though we really believe the good news of the gospel, to live in a way that bears out what we say when we profess our faith, to demonstrate that we know God and that it has made a difference. Otherwise we are denying everything we say to be true. When the traffic jams of life come along,––as they always do––how will we respond?
Prayer: Lord, help us to be faithful followers and to live according to your will so that others may know your grace and love. Amen.
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