Not talk, but power

1 Corinthians 4:20- "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power."

This is an idea that has really stuck with me this year; lately, it's been sort of my motto. One way to interpret this verse is that the kingdom of God is not about words, but action.

God took action when He sent His son Jesus to be the sacrifice for our sins. He didn't just say that He loves us; He proved it to us in power, that we may see His invisible love and understand. In the same way, we must not simply say that God is real; we must display His power in our lives, the power of grace that transforms lives. If you go up to someone and simply say, "Jesus loves you," it won't mean anything to them because they've never experienced that kind of love before. We must testify to the ways in which He has loved us, and share with them the abundant love that He has given us by in turn giving it to others.

Another way to interpret the verse above is like this: God and His kingdom are not an abstract theory to be considered and debated, but real, powerful, and important. What you do in His kingdom really matters, because it's really real. So what are you doing here in God's territory- are you glorifying the Lord with the work of your hands, or are you sitting in idleness while all around you people suffer?

(For a really great song related to this topic, check out "The Truth is Who You Are", by Tenth Avenue North.)