Devo, John

We’ve Been Too Casual In Our Belief

We've Been Too Casual In Our Belief

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And Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. — John 12:44-46

What Jesus states here is pretty straightforward. He excites the crowd by "crying out" three effects of belief:

  1. Who you believe affects.
  2. What you understand affects.
  3. How you live.

And I bet all my engineering friends probably saw this process immediately. And if you reverse engineer the process, you discover that:

  1. How you live will clarify.
  2. What you understand, which will clarify.
  3. Who you believe in.

And if we look at this process from both directions, it exposes a concern I have about believing men today. You see, in my humble opinion, I think believing men have been far too casual in our belief in God. We have been passive to sin issues in our life. We have been apathetic in our marriage. We have taken a backseat in areas of spiritual leadership. We have failed to disciple and mentor the next generation, beginning with our own children. We don't read the Bible, attend church, or give to anything God is doing. Most men don't even have a group of God-fearing men they do life with. Our actions clarify what we believe, that we want to be the god of our life. And we want this until we need deliverance that we cannot provide, and then we'll demand that God show up and provide.

And this is not belief in God; this is belief in yourself and using God only when you need him.

And fellas, if you are doing this, you need to reverse the process and get things in order with God. Because:

  1. Who you believe affects.
  2. What you understand affects.
  3. How you live.

ASK THIS:

  1. How has your belief in God impacted your actions and choices in various areas of your life, such as relationships, spiritual growth, and leadership?
  2. Are there any areas where you have been passive or apathetic in your belief in God, and how can you actively reverse the process to align your beliefs with your actions?

DO THIS: Join a community of Bible-reading God-fearing men.

PRAY THIS: God, I admit that I've been slacking off in certain areas. I've let sin slide and been passive in my spiritual growth. I've been distant in my relationships, especially my marriage. I haven't stepped up as a leader in the ways I should. And I've neglected to invest in the next generation, including my own children. I want to change that, Lord. I want my actions to reflect my belief in you. I want to prioritize reading your Word, attending church, and being a part of what you're doing. I want to surround myself with godly men who can challenge and support me.

PLAY THIS: Same God.

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13 thoughts on “We’ve Been Too Casual In Our Belief”

  2. Paul P says:

    Thanks for preaching the truth, Brother Vince! We all need to hear the truth… especially me.

    Proverbs 27:6 (NIV)
    Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
    but an enemy multiplies kisses.

  3. gonzalo correa says:

    Amen brother,
    So essential to speak Truth, Jesus, to all men, that we may know the Who, What, How; and produce real fruit from the Spirit and feed all Jesus’ sheep.

  4. Ryan Neith says:

    good kick in the pants. I needed to hear that. I work harder and longer at things that don’t hold as much value as spiritual growth. its really all about priorities. keep first things first. And yes, being in community with other men who will love you enough to hold you accountable is crucial !

  5. Eddie Ackerman says:

    Brothers, if you have not joined a small group, there is no other experience that can replace seeing God in other men’s lives, older and younger men both. Even Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who is the ONLY Man that ever lived who didn’t NEED men around Him, surrounded himself with 12 men when He started His public ministry. He did this to show US how to live life and be spiritual leaders, for OUR benefit more than His. And not only did He surround Himself with 12 men, they ALL failed Him to some extent before they realized who He really is. Don’t separate yourself from men permanently WHEN they wrong you, reconcile those relationships and be a brother to a Brother in Christ who has made AT LEAST one mistake because you and I have made AT LEAST one mistake in our own lives. C. S. Lewis summed up what separates Christianity from all the other religions in the world in one word, grace. God extended grace to us, let’s all pay it forward and do the same to others. Thank You God for Brother Vince Miller who speaks these truths to us and these timely song choices that just drive the point from my ears to my heart, personally. Amen.

  6. Jim says:

    Guys…find other Godly men to do life with. We come along each other as we walk this walk. We are not designed to do it alone. Nice post Vince

  7. Tom Fredericks Sr. says:

    Thanks Pastor Vince! Your boldness to declare the Truth, and your unwillingness to compromise your message for fear of provoking Truth in others continues to inspire me. I appreciate YOU! 🙏💪❤️

  8. Sam Lynn says:

    This devo did not come via email this morning – as each days typically does. I’m doing the devo with 4 different guys I’m my group. They were all texting me this morning asking where the email was. 😃

    I shared with them the link from the website but thought you’d wanna know an email didn’t go out this morning. Thanks again Vince!!!!

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