"Show Me"

When I followed those old boys around,

They took the time to show me,

How they saddled up their horse,

It’s what it took to grow me.

 

Let me watch them rope a steer,

And how to build a loop,

Patiently to drive the stock,

And not to rush and whoop.

 

Said they did things with intent,

It’s just how they were taught,

By watching what the oldsters did,

And the cowboy ways were caught.

 

Passed on by watching so to learn,

And copy what they did,

To hold their reins, and slide and stop,

I learned it since a kid.

 

And I still am learning,

Not just by what I read,

But try to pay attention,

To those I trust to lead.

 

And here is a great lesson,

If you want someone to know,

If they have a willingness,

You help them when you show,

 

What and why you do it,

Explaining as you do,

And before you know it,

They will do it, too.

 

A lesson here is obvious,

We have to walk the walk,

Lead by our example,

So we can talk the talk.

 

One goes with the other,

We show and share what’s true,

It will bear the greatest fruit,

Words backed by what we do.

“Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” (Ephesians 2:9-10, NLT)

We cannot earn salvation by anything we do. We are given our salvation by God’s grace. We receive it by putting our belief and trust in Jesus Christ. But once this salvation takes root in our hearts, it shows by what we do. In fact, this verse and others like it, tell us that God planned for us to do good things as a result of our salvation. In this way, the Lord uses our lives to bring others to Him. They see the change and the good we do and are attracted to the grace that empowers it. And that’s just it, you see. We are justified in God’s eyes by faith, but we are justified in the eyes of people by what we do. Our behavior gives weight to our words of witness.

Lord, help us do the good things You want us to do, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreeneart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.

Brad McClain