Changed Unaware, Week 5 Day 5, Exodus 34

Changed Unaware, Week 5 Day 5, Exodus 34

My pet peeve of the day is a common phrase that Christians like to use.  It’s pretty popular in Christian circles.  It’s often used in sermons.  If you’re a Christian there’s a good chance you’ve heard it.  Here goes.

“You can preach a better sermon with your life than you can with your lips.”

I really don’t like this phrase.  Why?  (And thank you for asking!) 

I think this phrase works at two levels.  I can agree with this first level.  The idea is that if you talk about being a Christian and talk about Christian stuff but your life doesn’t actually seem very “Christian” then people probably won’t listen to what you have to say.  And I’ll agree that there is a certain amount of validity in that view point.  No one wants to ruin their message by being a hypocrite. 

The “better sermon” saying has another level though that drives me crazy.  I think it comes from the idea that if I’m not perfect then I’m a hypocrite.  And a hypocrite who isn’t “preaching” a good enough sermon with their life isn’t qualified to preach a sermon with their lips.  So when it comes to our faith we just keep our mouths shut.  After all, we don’t want to turn someone off from God because our life isn’t up to snuff.

It’s also possible that this saying simply serves gives us an excuse to not share our faith.

I think there are two big false assumptions in this phrase.

The first assumption is a false forced choice.  We look at it like the choice is the live a good life OR talk about our faith.  The reality though, and this may come as a shock to some people, is you can do both.  You can live a life that shows your faith AND you can talk about your faith.

The other false assumption is a bit more subtle.  And this is where we finally get to Moses.  Moses would spend time on Mount Sinai.  And when he came down after conversing with God his face was radiant, but he was not aware of the change.  Spending time on Mount Sinai with God changed Moses.  Not completely.  But the change was evident.  It was evident to others even if Moses was unaware.

Have you spent time with God?  If you have, I’d be willing to bet that you too have been changed.  And quite possibly you’ve been changed unaware.  It’s not perfection that people need to see.  They just need to see that God is working in your life.  You don’t need to be perfect.  You just need to be changed.

This is one of the reasons that new Christians are some of the most effective at sharing their faith.  For many new Christians the changes can be quite dramatic.  And the people who know those new Christians what to know why and how they changed.  And the new Christians will tell them.  They might not be eloquent.  That’s okay.  Our friend Moses wasn’t exactly eloquent either and he did okay as long as he stuck with what God told him to say.  They might not be completely theologically accurate.  But they are effective.  They have both sides of the equation, a changed life from being in God’s presence and words that they willing share about this guy named Christ, this God named God Who is making a difference in their life.

So I’ve come up with my own phrase.  It’s not as catchy as, “You can preach a better sermon with your life than you can with your lips.”  But I think it more accurately reflects how God wants us to live out our faith.

You can preach your best sermon when God is changing you and you tell others Him and what He’s doing in your life.

Not as catchy as the original.  But I think it’s a more effective formula.  When God is changing you, those changes will be seen by others.  Sometimes other will see even before you.  But when they see, that’s when it’s time to tell.  Tell them about God and what He has done in your life.  Tell them about God and what He can do in their life.  Who knows, they might even listen.

God, when I look back some forty plus years of you working in my life I can see some pretty big changes.  A lot of the rough edges have been worn off by faith in you and some heavy duty #10 grit sandpaper.  As the years have gone by, the changes have gone deeper and sometimes become more subtle.  But the work that You’ve begun in me has moved closer to completion.  Lord, make me always ready to give an account of the faith You’ve given me and the changes You’ve worked in me.  Continue to mold me and shape me so that I can become more of the person You want me to be.  And when others see those changes, give me the chance to tell others about You and how You’ve changed me.  Let me have both sides Lord, changes and words.  A life given to You and the words to tell others, your Words Lord.  Amen

Leonard