“I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.” Acts 26:20
Maintaining a level of calm that ONLY comes from years of experience, I paced around pretending to do something of importance. But inside I was freaking! My wife usually gets home from work about 4:00 pm. It was almost 5:30 pm and she wasn’t home. I hadn’t heard from her and when I tried to call, she didn’t answer! Conclusion? She was either hurt, dead or kidnapped! I started cleaning my closet!
My brain can easily be coaxed to behave like a flock of chickens on LSD! Or is that a brood??? All it takes is one little thought of paranoia, and the screen in my head starts playing the movie ‘Halloween!’ But being older and wiser, I am SUPPOSED to maintain a level of calm. Cleaning my closet helps take my mind off of the horror! ‘Oh THERE’S the hat I lost!’
At 5:42 pm my wife walked through the door. Her hair was different and she caught me staring as my temperature started to rise… “Could she be having an affair?” I thought. “Where were you?” I asked… fighting to maintain my composure! “I told you this morning, I had a hair appointment after work. Don’t you remember?” Fade to unsuspecting, fake look of manly security!
Forgetting seems to be a more common occurrence with me. As I read this morning, I discovered Paul’s own added testimony of what happened to him after he was transformed from Saul to Paul. This verse puts his calling and mission into 1 very simple sentence that I need to remember every moment of my day. ‘Repent, turn to God and DEMONSTRATE my ‘God dependence’ by my actions. Simple right? Well… kind of. Until I forget and the movie starts!
Faith is a demonstrative action that requires choice. It is NOT automatic. I must CHOOSE to believe that God has me and TRUST that He isn’t late, lost or lacking. My life either shows it or it doesn’t. Interestingly enough, both He and I KNOW if I am faking it by the evidence of my life’s deeds and by what is going on in my mind.
So… what do YOU think?
