Live the Life...and don't be a hypocrite!

Without a doubt, one of the most popular saints of the Catholic Church is St. Francis. Heck, I even know some Protestants who have small statues of this famous friar in their gardens. He’s best known for his love of nature, often pictured in a manner you might see in a Disney film - surrounded by a variety of birds and other cute little forest creatures.

I count myself among the multitude of folks who are drawn to this saint. Sure, I like animals & nature too, but the thing about St. Francis (or as I like to call him, St. Frank) that really “hooked” me, was what I see as his Mission Statement: “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” This quote sums up perfectly how I believe that we should all live as Christians.

I have friends who range from non-believers to folks who are extremely active within their churches, study the bible, etc. Those who are non-believers and those who may believe, but do not believe in organized religion, often tell me that their reasons for their avoidance of church is that they view Christians as “kooks”. They’ve had bad experiences with being “preached at” and admonished for not going to church. They’ve observed that some of the people “preaching” at them tend to not be as holy as they demand others to be. How can they take it seriously, really, if the folks that are telling them that they’re going to go to hell if they don’t start going to church and believing in God are the same ones who they see on the TV news for embezzling from their jobs, being arrested in sex stings, or preaching one minute and then turning around and making negative comments while walking past someone who is homeless. They are saying one thing and doing another. How can anyone take them seriously?

I can’t blame them, really. I get really nervous when I see a guy wearing a shiny suit, his hair coiffed perfectly and plastered with a can and a half of hairspray, with overly-tanned skin and unnaturally white teeth walking back and forth across a stage telling me how awesome God is and can I get an Amen?

Yikes.

I mean…yeah, man, God is awesome, but did he really tell you to wear that $5000 suit? I’m betting that $5000 could feed a lot of orphans.

St. Frank had it right. You have to LIVE the Gospel, not just preach it. If you don’t, you’re a hypocrite, plain and simple. I know, it sounds harsh, but facts are facts, and that’s the definition of hypocrite! Why should anyone listen or believe what a hypocrite has to say?

It’s not easy to live the Gospel. God never said it would be. As a matter of fact, Jesus flat out said that it wasn’t going to be easy. But the flip-side of it all is that by living the Gospel, as difficult as it can be, you are rewarded with eternal life. Eternal. Never-ending. As in…forever and always! And in that eternal life, guess what? You won’t have the difficulties anymore.

Sweet.

So how do we live the Gospel? Well, St. Frank created a prayer that may help.

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.

By keeping this prayer close to your heart, you will be asking God to help you to live the way he so desires you to live. We can’t do it on our own, but we can do anything with the Lord’s help!

So that brings me back to St. Frank’s mission statement. If we are truly living the Gospel, the need for words is at a minimum. By living your life the way God desires, you will project Him to others. You’ll be surprised when people start asking you what it is about you that shines so brightly. Then you can smile and use a few words. And those words will be anything but empty.

For the world to know the truth, there can be no greater proof
Than to live the life, live the life
There's no love as quite as pure. There's no pain we can't endure
If we live the life, live the life
Be a light for all to see, for every act of love will set you free – “Live the Life” by Michael W. Smith (Live the Life, 1998)