Proving We’re Genuine By ‘Show and Tell’

When I was a boy in what we called ‘grammar school’ – we know it today as elementary school – one of the popular weekly activities was “Show and Tell.” We’d take turns bringing in favorite items from home, show them to our fellow classmates, and tell what they meant to us. They included things like favorite toys, dolls, dinosaur models, pet guinea pigs, and art projects.

 

I don’t know whether they still do “Show and Tell” in schools today – I haven’t had a chance to ask my grandkids – but it was always fun to see what my classmates were so excited about and hear them talk about it. The visual component added a lot to what they were telling us. Full disclosure: As a boy I was very shy, so when my turn came at showing-and-telling, I was terrified, but it was part of my growing experience.

 

Why do I bring this up? Because as followers of Jesus, we’ve been commanded to “be My witnesses” wherever we are and wherever we go (Acts 1:8), and an important part of being witnesses for Christ is showing – living out our faith and demonstrating its genuineness.

Years ago, a non-believing friend was telling me one of the reasons he had no use for Christianity. People he worked with would be very bold and vocal in their expressions of faith, but how they conducted themselves on the job seemed to contradict the principles they espoused. My friend’s attitude was, "If that’s a Christian, I don’t want to be one.”

 

I know there are many valid responses to that: No one’s perfect. It’s unfair to judge Christ by the behavior of His sinful followers. We’re saved by faith, not by works. All that is true. But my friend had a point: If professed followers of Jesus basically don’t appear to act any differently than non-believers, what’s the big deal?

 

It is a big deal in so many ways, as I tried to explain to my friend. But even the Scriptures teach that true faith is really a show-and-tell experience. One of my favorite passages about sharing our faith with others makes this very clear:

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander” (1 Peter 3:15-16).

 

There are three important parts to this exhortation. The first is to “set apart” (other translations say, “sanctify”) Jesus in our hearts as Lord. If we’re to live effectively and fruitfully for Him, we need to make sure He’s given the highest priority in our lives.

 

The second part is to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who ask…the reason for the hope that you have.” Another translation puts it this way: “…always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account….” Either way, we’re speaking about our faith in response to someone else’s initiative. If they ask us to ‘give an answer,’ this implies something about our lives has prompted them to ask about what we believe. ‘Making a defense’ similarly indicates someone else has taken the offensive, perhaps asking, “What makes you so sure about what you believe?” Or, "Why are you different?"

 

And the third part goes back to the ‘show-and-tell’ aspect of evangelism. We’re to be keeping a “clear conscience” and demonstrating “good behavior in Christ” so that those who speak against us will have no legitimate grounds for criticism. They will see us working hard for our employers, operating honestly and with integrity, and showing true interest in and compassion for others.

 

Even Timothy, the apostle Paul’s young protégé, was instructed to ensure that he not only knew and understood God’s truth but also lived it out consistently. Paul urged him to “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

 

Without question we’re to be always be prepared to speak about our love for Christ and trust in Him. But as someone has wisely observed, “If your walk doesn’t equal your talk, the less said the better.”

‘Show and Tell’ All Over Again

Had I been a NASCAR fan as a boy, I might have brought
model cars like these to "Show and Tell."

Do you remember “Show and Tell” day? I’m not sure they still do that in schools, but “back in the day” we had show-and-tell once a week. As I recall, it was optional and whoever thought to bring something in got to go in front of the class with their chosen item, show it off, and then tell about it.

Weapons weren’t an issue in schools in those days, so there was no concern little Billy would bring in dad’s pistol, shotgun or prize hunting knife. Most of the time featured items were things like stamp collections, favorite dolls and stuffed animals, plastic dinosaurs, something from grandma’s memorabilia, model cars and airplanes, maybe a live hamster or gerbil. I don’t think pythons were permitted.

The rules were simple: If you brought something from home at the appointed hour the teacher would call on you to walk before the class, show the item of your choice, and tell whatever you wanted about it.

Being shy, I think I “forgot” to bring something to class most of the time, but do remember taking my dad’s wartime medals to school once and explaining what each represented.

The single stipulation of this activity was it had two parts: Show – and Tell. You couldn’t go forward, face the class, and just tell them about something you left at home. And you couldn’t just show the items; you had to say something about them. It definitely was not show-or-tell. It was both-and, not either-or.

As I ponder what we often call the “Christian faith,” it occurs to me that it, too, is show-and-tell.

Over the years I’ve taken part in evangelistic conferences, events and training programs, and most of the time the emphasis is on the words: How to say the right things, or how to say things right, hopefully to persuade the hearer.

Speakers at these activities often refer to “witnessing.” What strikes me about this, however, is the Bible rarely uses “witness” as a verb. It says we are to “bear witness” (a noun) – in other words, carry testimony about our faith to those that will listen. In most cases, the Scriptures use witness not as something believers do, but rather what they are.

For instance, in Acts 1:8 we find Jesus’ exhortation to His followers: “And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” He also instructed them, “…let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

People within the Christian culture have become skilled in using the words of the Gospel, but perhaps one reason we’re not more effective is because of a lack of emphasis on the works of the Gospel. As someone been said, if your walk doesn’t equal your talk, the less you say the better.

An overbearing employer professing to be a follower of Christ, for example, that doesn’t treat employees with fairness, compassion, sensitivity and understanding isn’t likely to be listened to when she talks about Jesus. An employee that’s always telling people about Christ, but fails to do his work diligently and with excellence, undermines his own witness.

A husband might be a pillar in his church, but if he abuses or demeans his wife or children, he has no platform from which to speak about Jesus – at home or in public. And a physician that often talks about her faith, but uses coarse language or demonstrates a lack of personal integrity, conceals the light He wants her to shine.

We need to ask ourselves, “How’s my show-and-tell?” Whether at work, in our homes, in a restaurant, on a golf course, sports arena or wherever we happen to be – are our actions speaking louder than our words? If accused in a court of law about our “witness,” would there be enough evidence to convict us?