The Faith Gap: Why Do We Preach Provision but Practice Panic?
You know that God is faithful, that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and that He will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory. This is the unshakable foundation you plant in new hearts. Yet, watch the conversation around supposedly Christian coffee tables… The words are polluted:
“We are never going to survive this economy.”
“There’s no hope for our country; it’s a mess.”
“That new law means we’re finished.”
“It’s impossible to find a job/money / future here.”
“Of course they’ll make a decision that condemns me.”
“I don’t gossip, but…”
“I’m not judging, so please don’t get me wrong, but…”
When you speak that way, you are not exercising wisdom; you are activating fear. You’re judging. You’re lighting fires from hell.
You are testifying that God is great in theory but untrustworthy in practice. You are literally preaching provision while practicing panic.
You cannot guide a new Christian to seek first the Kingdom (Matthew 6:33) while simultaneously declaring that the world’s systems hold the final authority over your own capacity.
Your words are either life or death. Halt, and listen to the testimony coming out of your own mouth.
The Judgment Trap: Honoring the Temple in Others
This morning’s devotional highlighted how we (including myself) tend to revert to Galatians 5 as our guide to what constitutes sin, and what is a fruit of the Spirit. We tend to think because we don’t steal, kill, or cheat, that we’re okay.
But sadly, we often fail in the area of quiet, casual judgment of others. We look at a fellow believer’s lifestyle, clothing, or practical choices and allow a stream of condemnation to flow out, based on our own personal standards and capacity.
“Can you believe they bought that frivolous thing?”
“They should save their money instead of spending it on clothes like that.”
“Why would they choose to live that way?”
We must stop. We do not know the choices others have had to make, and it is sheer arrogance to assume we understand the context. Have you had to choose between feeding your children or buying laundry detergent? No? Then thank God for the grace He has given you, and refuse to judge.
If God accepts them—which He does—you do not have a choice to reject their testimony based on their appearance or their wallet.
Our mission is to lead people to the Father. The world needs to see that Christianity is not about restrictive rules and judgment; it is about Restoration, not Restriction. If you’re pushing away the very people Christ died for with your judgmental conversation, you are failing the mission.
Join me in Learning How to be a Clean Witness
The Bible is not silent on how a mature believer handles their internal world and their public words. The solution is to apply a rigorous Simple Stewardship to your thoughts and conversations.
Guard the Well (Proverbs 4:23): Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. If your conversation is flowing with fear and judgment, it’s not the economy or the person standing in front of you that is the problem; it’s the well you’re drawing from. You cannot pour out living water when the spout is full of muddy water. Halt and check the source.
Filter the Flow (Romans 12:21): Stop responding to negativity (fear, gossip, or anger) with more negativity. The command is clear: Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. This means actively choosing to find the blessing, the hope, and the good, even when the situation seems impossible.
The Restoration Protocol (Matthew 18:15-17): If a fellow believer is continually speaking fear or judgment—the very opposite of the faith they preach—you have a Simple Stewardship duty to restore them gently. Go to them privately. We are called to love them enough to point them back to the unshakable foundation, not to gossip about them in the fellowship group.
Grace + Wisdom for Outsiders: For non-believers, our witness is our currency. Don’t engage in a shouting match about politics or opinions. Instead, let your words be seasoned with grace and hope, using humility and prayer to show them the real source of your peace.
The world needs to see that your unshakable foundation is truly unshakeable. It’s time for all of us—the seasoned, the guides, the mentors—to align the Faith we profess with the Words we speak.
Onward + Upward (with less striving, gossip, and negativity…)
Lizette
XOXO
Need Prayer?
Sometimes, we just don’t have all the words. It helps to ask someone you trust to pray with you.
In Matthew 18:19, Jesus reminds us:
“Again I say to you, if two of you agree in earth about any manner of thing, whatsoever they desire, it shall be given them by my Father who is in heaven.”
If you would like us to stand in agreement with you, please submit your prayer request.