Apply Truth For a More Colorful Life!

My husband, Clay, owns a painting and remodeling company in North Texas (https://lewisvillepainting.com/). They do all kinds of residential and commercial painting projects, both big and small. But I guarantee that if they didn’t open up those paint cans and apply that paint to those walls, their job would never get done. Their customers would never get the beautiful homes they expect.

It’s like that with our lives, too. God gives us so many opportunities to know Him and His will for our lives. We have His Word, the Bible, that gives us His instructions for a blessed, Spirit-filled life. We also have the church with teachers and ministers who offer guidance on living the best Christian life possible. But only when we take those teachings and apply them to our lives, can we become the beautiful, content Christian women that He wants us to be.  Application means putting what I hear and learn into practice.

Practice Makes Perfect

Jesus made his stories and lessons very practical for everyone who heard them. It was not simply about knowledge, but how to apply that knowledge in one’s life.  Think about his Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters five through seven. The crowds were eager to hear Jesus’s words.  He didn’t just “tickle their ears,” but gave them many specific ways to make their lives more blessed.  He talked about handling anger, dealing with lust, divorce, how to treat our enemies,  worrying, judging others, giving to the needy, and much more. His words were simple and to-the-point, but they meant nothing if the hearers did not apply them to their lives.

Apply His Plan — Building Your House

At the end of his teaching, in Matthew 7, Jesus told them the importance of applying what He told them. He said, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).

Jesus was saying when you learn new information, you must apply it to your life for it to mean anything. That wise man who built his house on a rock knew that a storm was coming. He also knew that he had to apply that knowledge for his house to stay standing in that storm. The foolish man, however, heard the same information but didn’t apply his knowledge, did he?  And “great was the fall” of his house.

More Than Just “Hearing”

James, the Lord’s brother, said to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). How does only being a hearer of the word deceive us? Some people claim to be followers of Jesus, but their lives don’t reflect that. They think sitting on a church pew on Sunday morning, watching a religious speaker online, posting “godly” memes, or listening to “Christian” music is all it takes to please the Lord. But listen to me – if you do not apply what God wants in your life, you will never become what He wants you to be. And you will keep wondering what is “missing” in your life.

According to the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), 70% of Americans claim to be “Christians.” But claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make it true, does it?

We all have seen entertainers, politicians, other celebrities, and influencers who profess faith in God, but their lives certainly don’t reflect that claim. They may have a knowledge of who God is, but they don’t acknowledge Him enough to apply His truths to their lives. I don’t want to be like that!

Reflecting His Ways, Not Mine

It’s easy to claim to be a follower of Christ, but actually doing so means your life will be different than others. You will put His wishes before your own, and people will notice. Your life will reflect Him!

When someone looks at my life, will my profession of faith match my actions? If I apply God’s truths to my life, then people will know I am His follower. Yes, I mess up every day, but my life still reflects His grace and forgiveness. He keeps on giving me one chance after another to “do it” right.

His Power vs. My Weakness

Honestly, we all struggle with tough things in this life – those things that make us feel less than what we want to be. Thankfully, the Lord knows our weaknesses and loves us anyway. He wants so much more for us, however. As we read His word and pray for wisdom and guidance, He fills us with strength to handle those daily struggles that try to derail our lives.

Back to those celebrities that claim to follow God – I’m not judging anyone. I certainly don’t know these people personally. We all fall short, don’t we? I know I do. But the fruit of a Christian’s life will be evident by what he or she does, not just their words.

Bearing Good Fruit

At the end of Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, he talked about false prophets, but his words apply to his followers as well. In Matthew 7:16-20, he says, “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.  A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

When we model Christ’s traits in our lives, we show others that there is a better way to live. It is about him, not us. He is the answer to every need, every struggle, every worry. As I apply what I know about God, I am made more beautiful. I am more joyful, peaceful, faithful, kind, and loving. I become more like Him. Others will want to know more about Him as well.

Not By My Power, But His

Now, one thing I want you to remember – if you are trying to “be better” on your own, it won’t work! There are so many self-help gurus that tell you how to feel better. They talk about meditation and self-discovery. It’s all about me, me, me. But God, in His Word, tells us how to really live. You see, He made us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. His plan gives us true peace and hope. It’s outward-focused rather than self-focused.

So, my dear one, how are you really doing today? Are you searching for answers? Are you wondering what lies ahead? Are you feeling lost and hopeless? Maybe it’s time to look to the One who created you and ask Him to guide you. When you apply His truths to your life, you will become more what He wants you to be. And as Jesus himself said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:17).

So, open that paint can, dip in your brush, and let Jesus, the Master Artist, make your life beautiful!