When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But when you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself" -- Ezekiel 3:18-19*
The meaning of that passage is something I have pondered for quite a while now. Are we expected to go around shouting to the top of our lungs what we believe? I am not a Muslim but I have a friend who is and she always fusses about the whole pork thing. I like bacon, I don't have any aversion nor religious beliefs that forbid me to eat it. It is not part of my belief system, and it bothers me when she tries to place her beliefs on me. Besides, my belief as a Christian says that the old rituals of the Old Testament were no longer needed because of God's gift of everlasting life. So I eat more pork than my hips would like me to.
Where does that leave us?
When it comes to testifying about god, or the higher power you believe in, it's what you do that really counts. I don't think that when you are out with your friends having a drink after work is the best time to bring up Religion. Are the people you are with really going to be receptive to what you are saying? Probably not. Yet if you lead a good and pure life, won't others see what you have and want it for themselves? Most persons look at other's around them and size them up. We have all wondered what made John's life seem so effortless, or why Betty seems to take everything life has to hand her with a smile on her face that just doesn't go away. We tend to examine that person more closely.
We've all heard the story about the man who was saved when he hit the bottom and asked his Christian neighbor how he or she made it through. As the old saying goes, it's not what you say, it's what you do that counts. In the eyes of god, that saying is very true, I'd say you'd be hard pressed to lie to him.
No ground is made by pushing too hard. But by trying to live a good life, others will come to you and ask, that is when the message will get through. Persons must be ready to hear about the word. Of course, if the opportunity arises, as with anything, grab it and take advantage of it!!
Today's Thought: Try to improve your life, not only for yourself but all those around you.
*New International Version
