A visiting pastor at my church gave a challenging sermon in which he spoke forcefully about the current state of our denomination. He said that the only solution was to have greater commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word, both individually and collectively. His comments were not critical but constructive, and they stemmed from a ministry of integrity that spanned more than four decades. Many people could have said what he did, but very few could have said it with the same credibility and impact.
After the service it occurred to me that it had taken him 41 minutes to preach the message and 41 years to build the platform of respect from which he spoke.
No matter how long we've been Christians, we can speak a word for Christ. But the Bible points out the value of a consistent life in constructing a credible platform for an effective witness. Peter says that our "conduct" is to be "honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God" (1 Peter 2:12).
What we say can never be separated from who we are and what we do. If we want to speak effectively to others about Christ, there must be a platform of respect. — David C. McCasland
You're writing a "gospel," a chapter each day,
By the deeds that you do, by the words that you say;
Men read what you write, whether faithless or true,
Say, what is the "gospel" according to you? —Gilbert
People will listen to you carefully if they see you living faithfully.