LISTEN. . . " So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
“Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; (Phylacteries are boxes that are worn on the foreheads or arms containing Scripture verses) (Matthew 23:3-5)
CONSIDER. . . .Practice what you preach. Sounds almost cliché in today's world doesn't it? However, there is truth found in these words. A recent Gallup pole showed that only 12% of those who attend Sunday worship show any evidence in their daily life of their faith--in terms of cheating on taxes, lying, fidelity and other moral and ethical issues.
SO WHAT. . . Our actions should be consistent with our words. Our conduct Monday through Saturday should match up with what we pray and profess during worship. Our worship should feed our faith and exhort us to live radically as Jesus taught us and not just comfort and console us.
Think about whether your actions match your words. Or more precisely, does your day to day life match your "Sunday life"? Does you day to day life reflect a life directed by Jesus' teachings or a life directed by ourselves? Would people around you be surprised if you told them you were a Christian? These are pretty pointed questions but Lent is a good time to reflect on whether we practice what we preach.
PRAYER. . . Dear God, please give me the strength to live in accordance with what I speak. I pray that you will give me grace to be a faithful witness in this world by word and deed. I seek to honor you not only with my lips but with my heart and life. Amen
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