All Show and No Go

One of the great challenges facing God’s people is making sure our outward actions sincerely reflect our inward spiritual commitment to live God’s way.

When I was a young boy, my dad reminded me often to beware of people who are “all show and no go.” He was referring to people who act the part but are, in reality, not what they portray to others. This advice has stuck with me ever since and has been very helpful in dealing with all sorts of people.

One of the unfortunate characteristics in our human nature is the tendency to put on a front for others to see, but not really living that way when people are not looking. In other words, being all show.

A lesson from King Joash

There are many lessons for us to learn from the kings of Israel and Judah—unfortunately mostly lessons on how not to be!

Joash, king of Judah from about 835-796 B.C., took the throne at age 7 and “did what was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest” (2 Chronicles 24:2).

Joash focused on repairing the temple and supported the priests as long as Jehoiada lived (verses 5-12). But after the death of Jehoiada, things changed. A different side of King Joash revealed itself! He began listening to the wicked leaders of Judah and began worshipping idols (verses 17-18).

It appears his goodness was only a show for the respected Jehoiada—the man who had helped raise him—but quickly vanished after Jehoiada died.

Are we hearers or doers?

James 1:22 reinforces this important lesson: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” God wants us to both hear His Word (through Bible study and instruction) and do His Word (putting it into practice in our lives daily). God wants us to “live in the spirit” at all times (Galatians 5:25; see also Romans 8:4).

If we hear and don’t do, we are practicing hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is essentially “play acting.” That means that we are like an actor, playing a part on stage that doesn’t reflect who we actually are off stage. Study carefully how Christ corrected the Pharisees for hypocrisy in Matthew 23:27-28.

A personal example

When I was in the sixth grade, our school’s band director talked to the student body at an assembly and encouraged us to consider joining the concert band. He brought a brand-new French horn and told us that the student who showed the most interest in the horn as we came up on the stage to look at it would be awarded the horn and free lessons for one year.

It looked real nice! As I passed by the horn I acted as though I really wanted that horn. And,yes, they awarded me the horn.

There was only one problem: I actually had no interest in learning to play the French horn. I took the horn home for the summer. When school started in the fall, I returned it to the band director, who was very disappointed with me because I had deprived a serious and deserving student of the opportunity to have the horn. I apologized and felt very bad.

I have never forgotten what I did. I was “all show and no go.”

Be all go

We have an amazing calling to be entrusted with leadership roles in the Kingdom of God (Revelation 5:10).

In order to fulfill this calling, we must grow in “sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). Our challenge is to make sure that our outward actions are based on deep and growing conversion.

God is looking for people of spiritual depth to fulfill His calling. He wants us to be all go.

For more about living in the Spirit, see the series of Life, Hope & Truth articles on the the fruit of the Spirit.

James D. Cannon is a deacon in the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He and his wife, RoseAnn, attend the West Palm Beach, Florida, congregation.