All Hat No Cattle

Around 742 BC the prophet Isaiah began his ministry, which would span service over 4 different kings of Judah. He was given the difficult job of calling out his people for walking away from God and refusing to turn back to Him despite repeated warnings and negative consequences.

The people had fallen into a practice of worshipping God with lip service. They offered up formulaic piety, but their hearts were distant from the Lord. Their words said one thing. Their actions said another.

They would show up for "church" and say churchy things, but the words they recited did not translate into daily worship and service outside the sanctuary.

This is a giant trap.

It was a snare to the people of Judah thousands of years ago and it still is, to all believers. We can all play at church. We can all learn the practices and the vocabulary of a committed believer.

But God is more interested in what's coming out of our hearts than what's coming out of our mouths. In Texas, they say that people who are all talk and no action are "all hat, no cattle."

Don't be that kind of Christian.

In Isaiah, Chapter One, verses 16-17 God tells us exactly what to do. The accent here is on "Do." Notice the action words God uses to instruct His people. He says,

Wash yourselves.

Cleanse yourselves.

Stop doing evil.

Learn what is good.

Pursue justice.

Correct the oppressor.

Defend the rights of the fatherless.

Plead the widow's cause.

These are some of the ACTIONS of a committed believer.

Jesus backed up His claim to love us all with action. "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8. He didn't just preach sermons and rebuke the Devil.

He acted out His beliefs.

He is now calling all of us to do the same. For us to lay down the small talk and get active with His agenda. We don't need another talking head.

We need more kingdom-minded men and women of action.

Are you wondering how you can be a more effective servant of the Lord? Let's talk about it. Drop me a private message and I'd be glad to discuss or pray over it with you.

Also, join me and Sharon Gill, Monday and Wednesday evenings at 7 pm EST on Facebook for our journey through the Book of Proverbs. As of today, we are in Chapter 17 and will continue through roughly June 30, 2023, or thereabouts.

Join us by clicking this link.

We would love to hear from you.

PS: If you'd like to pursue the question of God's vision for your life, please click the links below to get a copy of "How To Know God's Vision For Your Life," or "God Help Me I'm Stressed!"