As a teacher it is imperative to plan - plan your lesson, plan your timing, plan your behavior management strategy, plan your grading system - everything revolves around planning. And, regardless of how great a planner you are, everything comes to fruition the moment you are faced with students. And, the key to success is acting upon your plans. You see, classroom procedures are set in place to eliminate wasted time and undesirable behavior. You can plan procedures all day long, but unless they are implemented, they are no good. You may sound like you know all the answers - but one glimpse into your chaotic classroom and anyone would your words and actions do not match.
The same goes for God's word - you can read it all day long, but unless you implement its teachings - its doing you no good. Sure, knowing verses may make you sound cool. Knowing all the answers may make you popular in Sunday School. But, one glimpse into your chaotic lifestyle, and anyone would know your life does not align with God's standards. Your life fails to implement God's word. Your words speak God's language, but your lifestyle speaks another. You are like the people of Jerusalem; the people Ezekiel describes when he says, "my people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.... for they hear your words but do not put them into practice." (Ezekiel 33:31, 32b). These people, like us, are greedy - they want to sound the part but they don't want to act it. These people talk God's talk, but walk the world's walk.
As exciting as the world's view sounds, it simply clashes with God's view. In John 15, we learn that Christians are separate from the world, hated by the world. And, if it is any other way - there is something awry. In life we must make decisions; we must plan to speak AND to live God's word. Because one simply cannot be without the other. In Philippians 4:9, Paul urges us to take, "whatever you've learned or received or heard from [him], or seen in [him] - [to] put it into practice." If we choose to speak and live and live God's language, "the God of peace will be with [us]." Following God's plans = peace. What more could we want?
"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1
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