The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever. Psalm 37:18

A few years ago, my grandson, Corban, and I visited the Western Museum of Mining and Industry in Colorado Spring. We were fascinated by the large steam engines housed there that had been used in the mining industry in the early 1900’s. Each engine depended upon several McCoy oil cups to keep the engines well-oiled and functioning. The McCoy oil cups were a popular and efficient system, and soon inferior copycat versions of the oil cup appeared. Unfortunately, they never measured up to the quality and performance of the original McCoy oil cup. After repeated failures, operators were soon demanding the “real McCoy” to keep their machinery operating.

In the arena of faith, a genuine follower of Christ—the “real McCoy”—is recognized not only by their talk, but also their walk. It’s being able to say like the apostle Paul,

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice” (Phil. 4:9). Paul could dare to make such an audacious statement, not because he was perfect, but because he was the real deal—there was no pretense or pretending that he was someone other than who you saw. If he had grandchildren, he would have said it to them.

Indeed, our grandchildren, and anyone else in our sphere of influence, will know by the words we speak AND the life we live whether our faith is the “real McCoy”, or a cheap, useless imitation. Will your grandchildren be the blessed beneficiaries of an authentic faith about which you can say, “Imitate me”? Or doeis this statement apply? “The way you live speaks so loud, I can’t hear what you say?” (Bill Glaser)

Do they know that your roots grow deep in the knowledge of Christ, in whom your life is hidden?

Does your life speak so loudly about what what is true that others want to hear more? Do your children and grandchildren pay attention when you speak God’s Word into their lives because they have no doubt you are the “real McCoy”?

GRANDPAUSE:  Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.  -Unknown