Blurb of my life

Sorry, this was supposed to go up last Friday..

Don't you find it really annoying when you go looking for a movie to rent, and because there's nothing in particular you want to see, you base your choice on the blurb on the back, and it turns out to be some really boring and weird story? [This bit will make sense later, I hope.]

Not sure how many of you have actually read Ezra, but it's about some of the Israelites returning to Jerusalem after their exile to rebuild the temple. And before they set out, this is what Ezra said in 8:21-23:

"There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, 'The good hand of our God is on everyone who looks to Him, but His great anger is against all who forsake Him.' So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer."

I found this passage really challenging. Do our actions back up what we say? Do our attitudes reflect what we really believe? Or is it that we don't truly believe what we claim to? If we trust that God will provide for us and protect us, then how can we stress out when an assignment deadline is looming? If we believe that God wants to use us to proclaim His gospel to those around us, then how can we back down because it seems really scary? If we call ourselves Christian, but I look like those around me and act the same way as the world, then what does that say about my faith?

In brief, what struck me is that the blurb I tell of my life (and my faith) should match up with the movie that others see (my actions). I guess I'm praying that we all reflect our convictions in our actions.

V