Living Faith

Back in November of 1972, Tom T Hall came out with a song called "Old Dogs and Children and Watermelom Wine."  In the song, he talks about the wisdom of an old white-hair gentleman, who had given up on people and now trusted in old dogs and children and watermelon wine.

The idea is that old dogs will always love you, little children haven't learned to hate and watermelon wine always remains the same. All three were trust worthy. OK, so what do you do with that. Do you go out and hang around dog parks, frequent children's playgrounds and later head to the liquor store? Putting your faith in those things causes you to live how?

Faith in something or someone isn't real, if all one does is romanticize about it. If there is no life change, no new direction, no action to take; there is just an idea, not an ideal. To have faith is to trust in, lean upon and move forward with. To have no change is to invalidate your faith. As James says, "Faith without deeds is dead" (Ja 2:26).

To believe capitalism is to get a job or start a business, not consider its merits while expecting the government to take care of you.to believe in eating healthy leads one past the fast food dive and instead dive into the produce section of the local grocery or farmers' market.  To believe or trust in, to have faith is transformational or it is a false narrative.

It is the same with faith in Jesus. To,just be a fan is not real, we must be followers. As Jesus put it, "Why call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things I say?" (Lk 6:46).   Why say the words if there is no action plan behind them?

So here's the Christian life plan as delivered by the apostle Paul: "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness" (Col 2:6-7).  Put your words in your walk. Just s' Say'n.