Do you know a person who has severe health problems? Send them a card and say, "I'm praying for you today."
Do you know someone who is having marriage trouble or difficulty with a teenager? Give them a phone call and tell them you're praying for them.
Is there someone who has wronged you? Don't demand justice-you be merciful, forgive them and be kind to them.
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." One of the tangible ways you will receive mercy is that the unbeliever will be more receptive to your message.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." To be pure in heart means to have pure thoughts and genuine motives. There is a consistency between your beliefs and behavior. A person who is pure in heart is sincere and authentic.
When Jesus met Nathaniel He said there was nothing false about him. It's a great compliment for someone to say, "There's not a phony bone in his body." People can't say that about most Christians.
Popular speaker and teen analyst, Josh McDowell, recently released disturbing statistics that indicate accepting Christ makes little to no difference in young people's attitude and behavior. Seventy four percent of our Christian kids say they cheat on school tests; 83% say they lie to their teachers; 93% lie to their parents; and 63% say they become physically violent toward others when angered. These actions represent no more than a 4% difference from the behaviors of those who profess no Christianity at all."
Teenagers, it doesn't matter how much you talk about your faith, how often you invite others to church, or if you wear a Christian logo on your clothes, when others see that kind of inconsistency and impurity, your salt has lost its saltiness; your light is out.
I've heard that some who wait tables in local restaurants hate to work Sundays. You know why? They don't want to wait on the church crowd. They say church people are rude, demanding, occupy tables for a long time, and leave miserly tips. Don't bother to invite them to church, your actions speak more loudly than words. Your light is snuffed out. The world sees you as a hypocrite because your example is insensitive and tightfisted.
On the other hand the world respects people who are genuine and pure in heart. They'll say, "She's for real." "He has a good heart." People can usually tell. They know if you really believe or you're playing a role.
There was an article in the paper recently about Kenny Perry, the professional golfer. It spoke of his recent success on tour and then read, "But don't think it changed Perry. There might not be a more genuine good guy on the tour.
This is a man who has lived in the same house for the past 15 years in Franklin, Kentucky (population 8000). This is a man who, because there wasn't a decent public golf course in Franklin, took out a 2.5 million dollar loan and built Country Creek, a 6500 yard layout that Perry hopes always will remain modestly priced. This is a man who borrowed $5000 from an elder in his church to give Qualifying School one last go in 1985, with the understanding that if he made the tour, he'd pay back the money with interest. The result was a scholarship fund at David Lipscomb University, a Church of Christ school in Nashville. Perry has donated more than $550,000, helping 13 students go to college thanks to his generosity and ability to hit a golf ball.