By Lindsay Schlegel

 

boats by the sea

 

“if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.” ~ Romans 10:9

 

Our culture tends to make a lot of excuses. After all, “you do you” doesn’t hinge on objective morality. The concept of living your own truth allows for that truth to change as circumstances dictate. It’s okay, to many folks, to change your mind, follow your heart, and make the best of wherever it leaves you.

To Follow Christ

When we choose to follow Christ, we choose a path that requires more of us—it requires integrity of thought, word, and deed. We were created to be unified; a whole and complete creation; a fusion of mind, body, and soul. (“Perfect,” you might say.)

If we confess that Jesus is Lord in how we speak and believe in our hearts and minds that He was raised from the dead to redeem us, there will be consequences in the actions we take or refuse each day. Or at least there should be. The reality is that we humans are plagued with concupiscence, the tendency to sin. If we’re honest with ourselves and with God, we will quickly recognize a daily disconnect between what we think, what we say, and what we do.

God’s Grace

But as children of a loving Father, we are also gifted with the daily mercies of our Lord. We can be healed. We can be redeemed. With God’s grace, we can realign our thoughts, words, and deeds so that the integrity with which we face our days recalls the purity and truth of the Lord. As with so many things in the Faith, it’s a both/and situation: we need both our best effort and His redeeming love, and with these, as Scripture tells us, we will be saved.

 

Prayer

Lord, help me to see the disconnect in what I think, what I say, and what I do, and give me the courage and opportunity to make a good Confession.

Call to Action

If you don’t already, perform an examination of conscience at the end of the day. Try making this a regular practice for a week, and pay attention to how it affects the choices you make.

 

 

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