The brown envelope arrived in our mailbox, along with a few other bills and solicitations. What made it different was the phrase printed on the front, stating that our family had won a genuine emerald. Being a kid in elementary school, the thought of a rare gemstone in the Sharrer household was quite fascinating.
After Mom opened the envelope, she was convinced we had won as well. According to the letter, there were no strings attached. We had definitely won a genuine emerald! All we had to do was mail back the certificate verifying our address and wait for the prize to arrive.
A few weeks later, a package arrived at our home. I was incredibly excited as I ran to show Mom what we received. She opened the package and we gazed upon the dazzling beauty of a rare gemstone.
Well, not exactly. There was an emerald inside. But it was almost microscopic in size and wasn’t even shiny. We both laughed. The original letter made it appear we had won a significant item in a contest. In reality, however, our prize wasn’t worth much at all.
We have the ability to be easily deceived by outward appearances. What seems at first glance to be a mild-mannered, friendly individual could actually be someone who physically abuses family members. A person who says, “I enjoy having you around,” may not believe a single word of their statement. A couple that walks into church smiling may be concealing the fact that they had a huge argument on the way and are temporarily on non-speaking terms (sadly, I’ve been a part of this one before).
Jesus understood this fact and took the opportunity to discuss it while teaching a large crowd gathered on a mountainside. The words he shared have significant importance for his followers in the 21st century:
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:43-45 NIV).
In everything we do or say, whether in public or in private, we provide evidence of what we truly believe about Jesus. That evidence, or fruit, is what determines a person’s reaction to the faith we claim to have. For example, if we say one thing but act in completely different manner, our credibility is compromised. As author Brennan Manning put it, “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” 1
- Service – It doesn’t take much to do this—just a willingness to be used and a sensitivity to what others need. It could be as simple as babysitting for a family that desperately needs a few hours away to recharge as a couple—and doing it for free. If a person has been in the hospital and is at home recovering, a homemade plate of cookies can break down more doors than you think. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, and see what God does.
- Steadiness – Champion marathon runners do not run an entire race at a sprint. Instead, they choose a specific amount of time they want to run each mile in and stick to that pace throughout the event. Likewise, there has to be consistency in an individual’s time with God in order for their attitudes and actions to become a) more like his and b) more constant in situations that occur. (Having people around to keep a person honest and accountable isn’t a bad idea either.) We must always be on guard to make sure we don’t live one ‘life’ of respectability and another of indecency. The world—and other followers—are watching!
How has God spoken to you about living a dual livelihood? What are the fruits that you exhibit in public and private? Are they the same? Are they different? What do you need to do as a result?
May you strive to be real with God as well as those you come into contact with daily. And as you do, may the Lord refresh you so that you can, in turn, refresh others.
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”
—Paul, Philippians 3:12b-16 (NIV)
—Samuel Chadwick 2
1 Manning, Brennan. Quoted in the preface to the song “What If I Stumble?” by dctalk, November 1995.
2 Quoted in The Joy of Following Jesus by J. Oswald Sanders (Moody, 1994).
All material copyright 2006 J. Alan Sharrer. No part of this message may be reproduced—other than the forwarding of the original, unaltered email message—without express written permission.
