I have two daughters who both play soccer with our local Parks and Recreation. Over the past few years I have noticed just how competitive youth sports can get. Yes, the children can be competitive, but I've seen how the parents are actually more competitive than the children. I have been guilty of offering my own coaching to my children from the sideline, especially when they seem to not be paying attention to the game. I find myself yelling, "Get in the game!" as they are looking at an airplane or pretending to be a rocket ship. When I sign my kids up for a sport I want them to have fun, to learn, and to actually play the game.
In our faith journey we find joy and fulfillment when we move from being passive receivers of faith to being active participants, or when we get in the game so to speak. There is a difference between believing in Jesus and following Jesus. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says that not everyone who calls him Lord will enter the Kingdom of heaven. While scripture makes it clear that we are made right with God through faith in Jesus and that is a gift, we have to act on that gift. In the United Methodist Church, when we join a church we vow to support it through our prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness. All of those actions require us to do something, to move beyond being receivers to being active participants. Do your actions reflect your belief in God?