Christians - Are We Walking The Walk Or are We Like The Amazing Fat Melting Jiggling Machine?

The commercials were convincing.  The evidence overwhelming; pictures before and the after.  It was astounding! Potbellies magically transformed into rippled, six-pack abs that, until now, could only be sculpted with months or years of crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts.  But now it was possible without the work, without the pain, even possible while watching your favorite soap-opera.  What was this magic?  The "Fat Melting Jiggle Machine."

My mother, God bless her soul, called Sears and Roebuck to place her order and two weeks later we all lined up for a try.  Mom was first.  She put the belt around her waist and flipped the switch. I'm not sure what made us jiggle more, the machine or gut laughing to the point of tears as we watched the show.  Now my mother was thin to begin with so it wasn't a fair test but suffice it to say, the machine didn't live up to it's maker's claims.  No weight loss, just a lot of jiggling fat and laughing kids. The correlation is this: you can talk all you want, make great claims. and even try to sell to the masses but if it doesn't work, if it doesn't live up to the hype, if it's all show and no go then its a lie.  We as Christians often are a lot like that.  This is not a condemnation but more of a wake-up call or at least a nudge towards self-examination. 

It seems that the "Holiday" season always reminds me of how far we as Christians have come from delivering the real goods to those around us.  I watch with a broken heart, the commercials on TV with cars, laptops, and video games wrapped with big, red bows.  The sitcoms have their holiday specials and our mailbox is filled with various Christmas and Holiday cards.  We go to parties and eat too much cake and maybe drink too much punch. In all of it is Jesus lifted up?  Is God really glorified?  The answer may be yes but for many it probably isn't.  I wonder what God thinks as we go about our festivities from Black Friday through New Years.  I wonder what he thinks as his children go into the word but look no different from it.  I know what you're thinking, "What a Scrooge!!"  Those who know me might even say, "What a hypocrite."  And in many ways they may be right. I struggle with sin and failure like the rest. I enjoy giving good gifts and gathering with people I love.  I enjoy meeting new people. What convicts my spirit is how little Jesus is talked about and how little God is worshipped in this time when we are suppose to be celebrating one very amazing moment in time.  The incarnation of God. The moment when God came to earth dressed in "swaddling clothes" lying in a manger.

What does this have to do with a fat melting jiggle machine?  Well, what we say we are has a lot more to do with the actual fruit than it does with our lip service or our church affiliation.   What we advertise ourselves to be and what we are may be two different things.  Now I realize that we all have areas in our lives that we struggle with but this is about who we are when we interact with the world.  If a nonbeliever encountered us at an office Christmas party or in a line at Macy's would he or she notice something different about us?  Would Jesus show through.  We can say we are Christians, go to church every Sunday and Wednesday night, and pray when acceptable but what really matters is what we do.  God has been showing me this about myself in my place of work.  Am I revealing Christ to those around me?  Do I walk the walk?  Or am I just a silly jiggling machine? Sadly, sometimes I'm the latter.

Here's a question to ponder.  If Jesus walked into your office, your home, your party what would you do?  How would you respond?  Would you be excited because the party was all about him anyway?  Excited because the tree and decorations were all for him and to celebrate him?  Or would you dive to hide something you didn't want him to see? When we're in a place where people need to know Christ, places where lost people need life, where broken people need to be healed, where blind people need sight, and hungry people need to be fed, what do we do?  Well, for most of us, me included at times, we just partake in the same conversations, the same jokes, the same activities and God gets set aside like last years Christmas tie.

Before you get upset with me and click off this page please ask yourself two questions:

1) Do I know Jesus?  If you don't I want to tell you that Christmas is the celebration of God loving YOU. I mean REALLY loving YOU, so much so that he sent his one and only Son into the world to die for you.  To pay the punishment that you and I deserve and to provide eternal life. The Bible says that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  If you're feeling God's Spirit drawing you to him and away from sin then it's time.  Jesus said "come to me all you who are weary and heavy ladened and I will give you rest."  Confess your sins to him and believe.

If the answer to the first question was "Yes" then  move onto #2

2) Does my life, do my actions, and do my words lead people closer to God?

I love Christmas.  I love the celebration.  I want to see lost people saved and this time of year is a wonderful opportunity to partake in God's plan to seek and save the lost.  Be careful if you claim Christ. It's no small responsibility. Be the real deal.  Be different. Be light.  Be holy.  Be love.

Peace,  David