Talk is cheap

1 Corinthians 4: ²⁰ For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

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“Thief” was the only word I could think when it came to the sneaky boss who poked around my desk. “I bet I could be a better boss than that” I said to myself. “Slow” was the word that came to my mind when I watched the marathon runner cross the finish line over an hour after the last runner had come in. “I could probably beat that guy” I said to myself.

“Crazy” was the word I had labeled my parents as I snuck around or lied to them.  “I bet I would be better parents than them” I said to myself. Now that I have tried all of these, I take my words back!

• It’s easy to criticize others when I don’t have to walk in their shoes.
• It’s easy to complain about what others are doing when I don’t have to be responsible for what they do.
• It’s easy to point a finger at someone else when there is no consequence to my accusation.

“Talk is cheap” is an expression that means “prove that you can do it.” In many instances I thought my wits were enough to accomplish anything, but when I tried I realized the thing was a lot harder than I thought. Even living for GOD seems to prove more difficult than I mentioned to other people. I criticized others for what they were doing and hid what I was doing.

• GOD doesn’t want me to just talk about HIS kingdom HE wants me to live it.
• GOD doesn’t want me to just talk about HIS kingdom HE wants me to point my life to HIM so others will follow.
• GOD doesn’t want me to just talk about HIS kingdom HE wants me to actively pursue it.

Faith without works is dead. If I say I have faith and hide when the going gets tough then my “talk is cheap.” If I claim to follow CHRIST but treat others with disdain then maybe I’m not quite living as GOD would intend. GOD’s kingdom is powerful! Nothing can stop it, no power can come up against it.

• Are you criticizing what someone else is doing wrong yet you have not examined yourself?
• Have you said you will do something and have not done it yet?
• Do you procrastinate and put off “that” project?
• Won’t you stop talking and start doing things for CHRIST?