Do I Deserve to Be Called “Doctor”?

And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the LORD has not spoken by me.” 1 Kings 22:28

To keep up my Family Practice Board Certification, I must perform routine self-assessments, which are designed to evaluate my knowledge of medicine, identify areas that need improvement, and then address those deficiencies. The American Board of Family Medicine (the ABFM) is responsible for ensuring that those of us who carry the title of Board Certified are reasonably proficient in our knowledge of family medicine. This self-assessment is a practical tool that the ABFM uses to compel those of us who’re board certified to meet certain standards. If we call ourselves Family Medicine Board Certified physicians, we must meet those standards. If we don’t meet the standards, we must improve our knowledge or we must quit calling ourselves board certified.

As Christians, we don’t have any universal self-assessment tool that we’re required to perform to be able to call ourselves Christians. Still though, I’m introspective enough that I’d like to know how I’m doing. If I were put on trial for being a Christian, would those around me have enough evidence to convict me of following Christ? Or would I be acquitted as someone who claims to follow Christ, but who never actually follows through with any behavioral change?

Our life stands as the proof of what we claim to believe. This is the lesson of today’s passage. In the story, the prophet Micaiah predicted that King Ahab would die in battle if he attacked the Syrians. Ahab’s 400 prophets however, predicted success for Ahab. Ahab didn’t like Micaiah’s prophecy and so, he commanded that Micaiah be incarcerated until Ahab returned from battle. You’re not coming back. If you do, then my prophecies and my faith are worthless (my paraphrase). Micaiah knew that his measure as a prophet and a follower of God were dependent on whether reality lined up with his words.

I’m no prophet, but the same principle holds true for me. If you observe my life, does it align with that which I claim to believe? Or is there a chasm lying between my words and my actions? If I claim to follow Christ, then my life should bear the fruit of his spirit. Does my life model love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness (Galatians 5:22-23)? Or does my life model the behavior of someone who lives for his own appetite? If I truly desire to follow Christ, then I must regularly perform some self-assessment, honestly asking if my words are backed up by my behavior. If not, then I must change my behavior or I must change my words.