Our words have a lot of power. Our words have the power to build others up so that it changes the course of their lives. And yet, with only a few words, we can tear others down to the point it is difficult for them to recover. The words we speak hold great power.

While our words alone can be powerful, sometimes our words are simply not enough. There are times when we need more than words to demonstrate how important something is in our lives. If you are married you understand this. You can tell your spouse you love them all day long, but if your actions do not match your words, then your words mean nothing.

One day Jesus was speaking to a large crowd about some things that were probably really hard to hear. As He was concluding his message, He wanted to challenge His followers. Jesus said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46). He didn’t want his followers to simply confess Him as Lord. Jesus wanted His disciples to not only profess Him as Lord but also to practice His words and teachings in their daily lives.

Many people today make the same confession those followers made long ago. They confess Jesus to be Lord. The problem is although they make such a profession, they live as though Jesus is anything but their Lord. They worship Him on Sunday but then live according to their own will on Monday. They claim to be a follower of Jesus but then live their lives as a follower of the world. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).

Friends, it is not enough to merely say Jesus is Lord and state our love for Him. We must express our love and the Lordship of Jesus by the way we live. Our love for Jesus isn’t seen through the words we speak, but through the lives we choose to live. As it has been said, “If Jesus isn’t Lord OF all, then he isn’t Lord AT all.” Let’s not just say Jesus is Lord; instead, let’s live our lives as if Jesus is our Lord.