Is believing doing?

There were other words I'd planned to write, but rather than share some thoughts and insight God's leading me to share a story and make this a bit more personal.

Believe is a word that has been on my heart...I've looked up it's definition according to Webster and in the Hebrew and Greek; basically it means to trust. I've been thinking about what I believe, who I believe, how I struggle to believe and why, the results of belief and those of unbelief. 

Through this process, I've had the thought that our beliefs should make a difference; when I believe something it should have an impact on my life. So God's taken that thought and had me think about the Bible, a book that I believe contains the living, active Word of God. 

That belief is good, but God's showing me I can make it better...if I believe the Bible, which I do, that means I believe every book in it, every verse in it...even the ones that are hard to live out. 

Saying I believe these words, these Truths, can be easy, but friend - talk is cheap. God doesn't want me to simply say I believe, He wants my beliefs to become actions. And the world definitely doesn't need me to talk the talk; they need me, us, to walk the walk. When we contradict ourselves they eventually quit listening, but they never quit watching!

So these thoughts have been brewing in my mind and today, God challenged me to quit thinking and start doing. Life presented an opportunity to live out a verse...one I believe, or claim to anyway.

My plans for the day were not the same as the ones my husband was envisioning. And as we discussed what would take place the day looked less and less like I expected and more and more like what he wanted. I wish I could say my desire to live out my beliefs took over at this point, but that's not the case.

The day went on and my attitude grew worse...I focused on my loss and what appeared to be his win. I thought about what I wasn't doing instead of embracing the opportunity I'd been given. My husband even made this statement, "I knew you were upset with me, so I just stayed out of the way."

Let's just say those are NOT the words a woman who's trying to follow hard after Christ wants to hear. But friend, can we admit that sometimes the words we need to hear are the ones we'd never choose to have spoken?

That was the case for me and my husband didn't have to utter another word because God picked up where he left off. He brought to mind a couple of verses and they, along with thoughts of living out my beliefs, cut to the heart...

"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord." Colossians 3:18

and

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters..." Colossians 3:23

I believe these are God's words given to Paul, I believe they are commands that are meant for good and I believe they are for me. I believe all these things, I've said that, but today my friend, I didn't live out my beliefs. And I'm left wondering, If I don't do it, do I really believe it?

I don't think I threw away my beliefs this afternoon, but I made a choice to believe I had a better way. I chose to live out of the flesh, strive for my selfish desires and then grumble when they weren't met instead of living in the spirit and depending on God to help me do what I believe.

I read somewhere that belief leads to obedience and unbelief, well that leads to sin! With that, can I encourage you to look at the path you are on...your beliefs and the choice to live them out or ignore them are leading you somewhere. Praying for you, and for me, that God will help us believe Him, strengthen us to obey Him and make us more like His Son, the One who always BELIEVED Him!