The Danger of Being an Intellectual Christian

Quote bordering ceiling of Jefferson Library of Congress

There is an unfortunate trend in society in which people feel that being well-versed in the Bible is enough to maintain their Christian faith. They can talk the talk, but miss the importance of walking the walk. Being a Christian is not just about having knowledge of faith, but also living out that faith. James 2:17 states, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Without demonstrating your faith to others on a daily basis and showing the world how Christ can change you from the inside out makes it very hard to convey to believers the beauty, joy, necessity, and purpose of being a Christian. This would be like having a running coach giving you lots of advice on how to run the best race and providing particular strategies, but the coach either not following his/her own strategies, or worse, not even being a runner. This would greatly hinder their credibility in the long run, which is why it is so important to do our best to live out our Christian faith instead of just talking about it. Unfortunately, after this past weekend's events, Harold Camping has made the credibility of true Christians go down the tubes with his radical teachings, making a mockery of the second coming of Christ.
I must say, as of late, I am quite guilty of being an intellectual Christian. For some reason, I have drifted into a realm where I can advise others on how to not allow the temptations of this generation get a grip on their souls, yet I myself struggle to stay afloat above the same tide of temptations and delusions Satan floods into society. I am daily trying to escape the resentment I hold against those who call themselves Christians, but don't appear to live out their faith, when in all honesty, I am no better. Also, I need to escape my apathy towards school and work. To do so, I must meditate on the words of Colossians 3:23 and 1 Peter 4:10, which state, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men," and "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.", respectively. Although it will be a process and will take time, my goal is to do my best to let my work reflect my faith.
My number one priority, though, is to live out the greatest commandment of love. I seem to have issues lately not remembering that people stumble, and not being able to accept them for their flaws and mistakes, which is totally ludicrous. We all experience pitfalls in the ebb and flow of life and I must keep this in mind and close to my heart. Sure our main focus should always be on Christ, but I must not become critical of myself or others when this doesn't happen. I must remain patient and not become anger because that allows Satan to get the upper hand. So in sticking with the theme of this entry, I plan on ditching the intellectual Christian route and will try my best to follow 1 John 3:18 ~ "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongues, but with actions and in truth."