Talker or Maker – Which One for You?

Informing me that he had a mind of his own, “therefore I can reason things out for myself,” the University student shared his views as to why he believed the Bible to be not only, “irrelevant in this age of modern science,” but also why those who do believe in it, “don’t have a mind of their own, therefore they are unable to reason things out for themselves.” Given that it’s over twenty -five years since I heard him make that statement, I wonder where he might be today, at the age of around forty-five. Is he in journalism? Radio and TV? Entertainment? Academia? Lecturing? Psychology? Social work? Politics? It’s more likely he’s in the talking business than the making business.

What’s the difference between them? Talkers don’t have to be accountable for what they talk about; makers have to be accountable for what they make. The talker can be wrong on everything he talks about and still keep his job; the maker can only afford to be wrong sometimes; he loses his job otherwise, or, he goes broke! Talkers thrive on their opinions no matter how accurate or factual; makers are not overly concerned about their opinions, accuracy and facts are their primary concern. When things go wrong, talkers look for someone or something to blame; makers look for someone or something to help put it right. Talkers will say there are no absolute truths; makers are more likely to say there are absolute truths.

‘Talker’ – ‘one who talks, especially a loquacious or garrulous person.’ Not a flattering description when compared with the ‘Maker’ –  creator, manufacturer, builder, constructor, producer, fabricator, architect, designer, framer, originator, inventor, founder. It’s not difficult to figure out which one had the most influence and respect in times past. Homes, farms, factories, shops, offices, schools, hospitals, churches, communities, police, fire and ambulance services, towns, cities and nations – all done by makers! Yes, they had talkers back then in the form of newspaper and later, radio people etc, but they were also makers, not afraid to get dirty hands. Making kept them from adopting the elite mentality, so rabid among talkers today.

Imagine if there were no makers in times past. There would be no talkers today – they’d all be dead! How come? It was the makers who committed then disciplined themselves to search for disease cures, pain killers, poverty and hunger solutions. By the time 1960’s came along, all of those serious issues were no longer serious for the Western world. Such blessings and luxuries gave rise to post-World War Two kids (and now, their kids) becoming the greatest talkers but not makers in all of history. They also became the most spoiled, selfish, arrogant “take it all for granted” kids in all history. Right beliefs, right values, right character and right behavior – for the most part, got kicked to the curb in preference for the wrong!

The University student was indeed a talker. And like all talkers who consider their mind and reasoning faculties to be superior to those of myself and other Bible believers, “science” was the crutch he used to deflect the gospel message away from himself. However, to the question, “Does science disprove that one day you will stand before God and give Him an account for your life?” he did not express a “mind of my own,” it was the mind of someone else. As for “reason” well, he got that from someone else too. I mentioned this to him, but I understood this truth: talkers talk – they don’t listen! He was right though, Bible Christians don’t have a mind of our own; better than that, we have the mind of Christ – plus His reasoning! 1 Corinthians 2:16.

Talkers avoid God, the Lord Jesus, the Bible and Christians for one reason only – truth. Truth is the last thing they’re seeking to get them where they want to go in life. That’s why they say there are no absolute truths. To say otherwise would mean they’d have to stop talking, start thinking, start changing, then start making! Let’s take the Ten Commandments Exodus 20:11-17, for example. Makers (not all), look at those and they see their failures in life. The Bible calls the violation of the Commandments, sin. They don’t run from them; they face up to themselves, accept the truth that all their failures (sins) can be blotted out Acts 3:19 if they sincerely humble themselves, repent and allow Jesus Christ to become Lord of their life.

Talkers, on the other hand, look at the Ten Commandments, see their failures and they do run from them. While running, they put their minds into overdrive coming up with all sorts of so-called clever but silly reasoning as to why they consider the Bible “irrelevant in this age of modern science.” When speaking with talkers, one quickly discerns it is not creation, Adam and Eve, the serpent in the garden or the fall of man that are the true reasons for them to deny the things of Christianity, it is those Ten Commandments, the command to repent from their violations of them and the command to surrender their lives to God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ! Talkers believe they are their own god. That’s not reasonable, that’s insanity!

Speaking of insanity, a talker in the United States labels Christians, (particularly military Christians) as “monsters,” “terrorists,” and “enemies of the Constitution.” Not true, but talkers never allow truth to get in the way of their story. Talkers specialize in labeling anyone who doesn’t agree with them. Two Australian citizens may soon be shot in Indonesia for drug smuggling. Talkers from everywhere in Australia have come out of the woodwork in protest against it. Those not putting in effort to stop it are “racist” according to one of them. Nothing new, of course … sexist, intolerant, homophobic, xenophobic – that’s some of the silly, childish labels talkers stick on those disagreeing with them. Makers are less likely to do that; they’re too busy making!

How about talkers occupying church pulpits? Are not all people who occupy church pulpits, talkers? Not at all; some are makers – but we’ll get to that. Talkers occupying church pulpits will be held more accountable before God for today’s generation living with wrong beliefs, wrong values, wrong character and wrong behavior than their secular counterparts. Why so? Those wrongs are what they live with too. That’s who they are! Yes, they’ll hold a Bible in their hand, but talk humanist silliness about man-made climate change, same sex marriage, Palestinian rights, human/animal rights, global peace plans, purpose driven plans, interfaith plans, prosperity gospel messages, etc. God is not glorified, they are!

Speaking of humanist silliness, how about this quote from the wife of a popular mega-church pastor in the USA. “I just want to encourage everyone of us to realize when we obey God, we’re not doin’ it for God – I mean that’s one way to look at it – we’re doin’ it for ourselves, because God takes pleasure when we’re happy. That’s the thing that gives Him the greatest joy this morning . So, I want you to know this morning: Just do good for your own self. Do good because God wants you to be happy. When you come to church, when you worship Him, you’re not doin’ it for God really. You’re doin’ it for yourself, because that’s what makes God happy. Amen?” Self-worship at its best, God-worship at its worst! For men (people) will be lovers of themselves 2 Timothy 3:2.

So, doesn’t God want us to be happy? He does. But happiness doesn’t come through self-focus. The whole world is doing that and dying in the process! True happiness comes when we lay down it all down for the Lord Jesus Christ – my will, my ways, my desires, my life. That is not what takes place in most mega-churches. If it does, where is the evidence? In fact, that is not what takes place in most churches. It can’t happen when talkers occupy pulpits. But it can happen when makers occupy them! So what is a maker in the pulpit? He is a man who preaches and teaches the Bible with the sole view of making disciples of Jesus Christ. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and……. Matthew 28:19.

Disciples of Christ are not talkers either; they too become makers. In the power and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, firstly they set out to remake themselves. Right beliefs according to Scripture, right values according to Scripture, right character according to Scripture and right behavior according to Scripture – that’s called righteousness. Then in God’s timing, in the same power and anointing of the Holy Spirit, makers go and proclaim the message of Christ with others. ‘Proclaim’ means: ‘announce officially and publicly’ to ‘state emphatically or authoritatively.’ Talkers will run a mile from that! Talkers are a dime a dozen in the church, makers are a rare, precious jewel. Talker or Maker – which one for you? For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent” 1 Corinthians 1:19.