Smooth talkers

Smooth talk. We are all seduced by smooth talk at some point in our life. It begins when we are young, right? Commercials. We are smooth talked from a young age to want, no need, that newest toy. Go see that newest movie. Need the new toy from the new movie. We don’t grow out of that though do we? As we get a little older and a little more sophisticated, it’s the new shoes, or jeans, or jewelry or phone. Adults- you too! How about that car, house, neighborhood.

We would all like to think we are impervious to smooth talk . The sad truth is, it gets us all the time. Often we put too much importance on the words people are saying and don’t do enough observing the actions those people are taking. We hear that smooth talk and are seduced by how pretty it sounds. We desperately want it to be true. We want people to like us. If we have that right pair of shoes, jeans, phone, watch, car, house, neighborhood we will be accepted, liked even. We desire the things because we falsely believe all those advertising smooth talkers that tell us how cool their products will make us.
We aren’t only smooth talked into wanting things though are we? How about our votes? How many of us vote based on what a politician says they do, or will do? How many of us check back in on how much follow through our elected officials have? We look around at the messes we are seeing and say “ It’s all the ‘other side’.” Yet, what are the politicians on ‘our side’ actually doing? How much follow through is happening from that Smooth talk? We are so easily duped.
Are we any better? How good have we gotten at smooth talk? Are we leading others to destruction because we say we are Christians without our actions proving that?
No, our faith does not come from our works. The things I do can not save me. I can not tip the scale in my favor by doing ‘good deeds’. However, one follows through with actions when they believe in something.

James 1:22

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Little ways every day. We say “I am a Christian.”

And then keep someone from getting into our traffic lane because two miles back they were riding our bumper. We get snarky with the check out person because our coupon can’t be honored. We talk about choices an acquaintance has made with other people because it’s not something we would choose to do.

John 13:34-35

“A new command I give you: Love oneanother. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love oneanother.”

Well ouch. Do they know I’m His disciple? Am I loving the way He loves me? Am I doing the word, or am I just Smooth talking my way though each day?