Lynn Jones: Practicing what we preach
By Lynn Jones
A group of folks were talking about a mutual friend who lived in a distant city. One of them remembered that it was his friend’s birthday, so they decided to call him and sing “Happy Birthday” to him over the telephone. They called the number, and as soon as there was an answer they launched into a spirited rendition of “Happy Birthday.” When they had finished singing, there was a period of silence, and then the man on the other end of the line gave his name. It was then that they discovered that they had called the wrong number. They apologized profusely for singing to him. The man who had been serenaded said, “Don’t worry about it. You folks need practice.”
A lot of us need practice, not just with our singing, but with our faith. Many of us talk about a better game than we play. Our practice often does not match up to our profession. Someone has said that one of life’s biggest disappointments is discovering that the guy who writes the advertisements for the bank is not the guy who writes the loans. Often there is some distance between what an ad says and what a business will actually do. The same is true of our Christian lives.
One man said, “On a good day, I can make five or six good resolutions before breakfast. If I had completed only 2% of these in the past year, people would be blinded by my halo.”
We recognize our need to grow and mature. We know that we need to make progress and often resolve to do so. But translating our resolutions into action is a point at which we often stumble.
It was different with Jesus. John Killinger said that it is impossible to drive the thinnest blade between what He taught and how He acted. What He said was what He did. He challenges us with inspiring words and with a consistent life. That gives His witness a profound impact upon our lives.
How often we weaken our witness by the lack of consistency in our lives. We profess kindness and love but act out of insensitivity and selfishness. We talk of holiness and commitment but reflect worldliness and superficiality.
Identical twins pursued different careers. One of them became a medical doctor. The other surrendered to preach and earned his doctorate in theology. After completing their separate degrees, both brothers moved to the same town—one to practice medicine and the other to pastor a local church. Because the two men looked exactly alike, people were constantly confused about which one was which. One day a woman met one of the men on a city sidewalk and asked, “Are you the brother who preaches?” “No,” he responded, “I am the brother who practices.” I am grateful for those who practice what they preach.
Lynn Jones is a retired pastor who lives in Oxford. He does supply preaching for churches in his area and often serves as an interim pastor. Jones is also an author, has written two books and writes a weekly newspaper column. He may be contacted at: kljones45@yahoo.com.
