I love games, don't you? But are you a serious game player? Now teens... those are serious game players. Games are often played during free time in our Church Youth Group. I have to tell you it's almost as much fun to watch them as it is to actually play. One of the favorites is 'Guesstures'. If this game is not familiar to you, just envision 'speed charades'. It is hysterical to watch.

Did you ever play Simon Says? That's one of my personal favorites. I have learned when leading this game that more attention is paid to what you are doing than what you are saying. So the faster you call out Simon Says directions while doing something other than what Simon says can cause great confusion. And ultimately many drop-outs with much laughter and a lot of kids wondering how they had been duped.

Simon Says is a great game but it's not only a great game, it actually makes a lot of sense. In a way it is played out in lives every day. "How?" you may ask. Well, I'm glad you asked.

Far too many parents have tried to raise children one way while actions are lived out totally different. Of course this is confusing to them. For example, how many smokers tell their children not to smoke? And it's played out in many other areas as well. The parent's attitude is often 'Do as I say, not as I do.' But the on-looking child would think "How bad could it possibly be if they are doing it?" Or "How important could it actually be if it isn't important to them?"

May times when Simon Says is played out in the life of a Christian, it sounds more like the game of ...God Says.

Don't believe it? How many parents tell their children how important it is to put God first in their lives but then allow so many other people and things to interrupt their own relationship with Him? How many parents realize the importance of church so they SEND their kids to church but fail to go with them? How many people tell children, "God says..." and then leave them to wonder why their actions do not agree with what had been said

Much like the game of Simon Says, no matter what children and teens are told about God they are most likely going to do what they see rather than what they hear. Words may tell them how important going to church is but if things get in your way of church attendance, they will soon learn it really isn't that important to you so it must not be that important for them either.

But this is not relevant only when it pertains to kids. We sometimes do the same thing to other unsuspecting victims who happen to wander into our lives. Oh yes, we may play the game of 'God Says' with those around us all the time and not even be aware of it. But you can be assured their attention will be on our actions not our words.

Honestly, how many of us would fare well if all our actions were observed closely? Would our day-to- day dealings with life circumstances differ from our words of advice to others?

I suppose it would do us all good to be a little more diligent to 'practice what we preach'. God's Word may indeed be for the other guy, but it's for us too. When we quote scripture to someone in order to help them we should probably be sure we have applied that scripture to our own lives first. After all, even if others weren't watching, nothing is invisible to our loving and forgiving God.

Are we able to speak as Paul did in 1 Corinthians 11:1 when he said, "And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ's."

Remember the old saying, "What you do speaks so loudly I can't hear a word you say."