Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:26-27 (NIV)
My mom used to always say, "You better watch your mouth. Somebody is going to give you a bloody nose!" I had a tendency to argue and talk a bit of smack. It is a wonder I never really got popped a good one (or two). Though I did talk my way out of a few confrontations, I also managed to talk myself into quite a bit of trouble.
How this applies to Christianity is that if I talk about being a good Christian, I better act like a good Christian. Frankly, this is about serving others. It's not about talking about serving, it's about just serving. If I tell my wife I love her but leave the dishes in the sink for her to get, that's not serving. If I ignore the person at work who is struggling and don't help them because I might have to stay fifteen minutes later, that's not serving. Do you get it? Christ sacrificed, Christ served. So should I.
How are we to serve, by whose orders, this worlds or God's lead, and all in all who gets the credit for the service I or you do?
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