"The Credibility Gap"-- The gap between ideals and actions. The distance between planning and productivity. In my own life, especially concerning the things of God and fulfilling my ministry it is often the vacuum which exists between information (knowledge) and transformation (application). The dictionary defines a "credibility gap" as "A discrepancy or disparity, especially between words and actions." In other words our actions do not line up with our testimony! 

 

There is a glaring difference between the mind set of the first century Christian believers and many professors of Christianity in modern America today. Modern Christianity is often an exercise in intellectual assent. Just check each of these boxes, and then at the bottom of the page sign your name and you are in! (Don't forget to sign your initials on the waiver: "If at anytime I find myself dissatisfied with my experience in Christ I am free to take on other philosophies and doctrines to satisfy my flesh"). We could call the waiver the "Oprah Clause." The Scriptures tell us that the way that people are able to interact with heaven is through faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. James, our Lord's brother put it this way: 

"If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do." James 1:5-8 (NLT)

Do you have divided loyalty's? Is your measure of faith invested 80% in the Kingdom of our Father and 20% in the world and its system's and values? What is wisdom for? Is it for us to look good in front of the world, or is it for us to be effective in revealing Christ to the world? I believe we all know the answer to these questions. So what do we do? Let's make sure that our faith is truly invested 100% in the Kingdom of God. Jesus promised us that if we seek Him and His Kingdom all these "other things" will be provided as well. What are those "other things?" The necessities of life. 

 

Secondly, Let us be willing to ponder the idea that what we are lacking in our Christian experience is not information, but actions. Yes we need knowledge, and we need proper training and doctrine. Beyond these foundational resources we need God's Spirit to anoint our lives for service. It is the anointing, the seal of the Spirit in and on our lives that gives us the power to do the works of Jesus Christ today. Ask God for his Spirit to empower you so that you can be His hands and feet in your world today. Ask Him to help you place ALL of your faith in His finished work on the cross. Take back whatever percentage of your loyalties that have been misplaced in this world and its systems and values and reinvest them back into the only place where they truly belong-- in Christ! 

 

With proper knowledge and the wisdom which comes from above we have been given the promise that we can do His work right here in our everyday lives here on earth. Let's put it into practice and the Kingdom of Heaven will move on our behalf. This is the only way to remove "The Credibility Gap" from our midst. When God moves in power all doubts have to flee!