Beloved children, our love can’t be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds. 1 John 3:18 (TPT)
You’ve just sat down to watch your favourite movie on your tablet. You’ve really been looking forward to it all day. But instead of being a pleasurable experience, you immediately notice that the picture doesn’t quite match the video, making viewing and listening increasingly awkward. You’re hearing things that aren’t happening in the scene yet. The video might be frozen on a particular point or moving slowly forward while the audio plays happily along. The video may experience lag while the audio continues to play, and the result is confusion.
We are God’s audiovisual representatives on earth today. Does your walk match your talk? Does your audio match your video? Do your words and actions match up? You can portray the right outwards appearance (your video), but if your words (your audio) do not align with your image then there is something wrong. Being a person of integrity literally means that you are a fully integrated person.
Jesus is the supreme model of integrity. His enemies could only declare:
Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Mark 12:14 (NASB)
The New International Version uses the phrase “man of integrity”. Even at the conclusion of His life here on earth as He stood before Pilate, the ruler said:
I find no grounds for charging this man. Luke 23:4 (HCSB)
Our profession of faith should be matched by a life of faith.
If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:6-7 (ESV)
If an individual professes to have fellowship with God but the person has a lifestyle of worldliness, that individual lies and does not practice life of truthfulness.
What are your actions saying? Our words and our deeds should say the same thing. There should be no disparity between them. Paul teaches us:
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise. Ephesians 5:15 (ESV)
Timothy was told by Paul to set an example “in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity”.
Stop to think about how we are representing God. How often do we really think about how non-believers view us? We should be living out the Good News. We should be walking by faith. We should be demonstrating the love of God. For example, when do you feel the most loved? When someone says “I love you” over and over? Or when someone shows you love by treating you kindly and helping you? The words “I love you” are certainly sweet to hear, but without action they are meaningless. Jesus tells His followers how they will be recognisable by loving each other.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35 (NIV)
By showing love to others, we exemplify God’s love for us. Let’s ensure our audio and video are in sync.
Father, deliver us from hypocrisy. May we walk as Jesus walked in this world. We ask You that our walk might match our talk so that others may see Your life in us, give You glory and come to know Jesus through our love. in Jesus’ Name, Amen.