In America, there are all sorts of people that consider themselves to be Christians, or honest, or good citizens, or good parents, or good children, or hard workers, and so forth, but it is one thing to claim these things verbally and it is an entirely different thing to actually demonstrate through your actions and through your behavior that you represent the epitome of those very same things. The first thing that must be understood, is to say that you are anything, would implicitly mean that you must meet the conditions of being that very thing, so that if you claim to be a good plumber, you must actually have received training, have competent and comprehensive experience, and demonstrated that you actually are a fairly good master of your trade. If that can't be seconded by some neutral third party, who is competent to judge your actions, than you are probably not a good plumber, although perhaps in the future, you may become one.
There are in this country many, many people that claim to be all sorts of things, of which, some of those people are outright liars about their claim and know it, some of them are claiming things that they are in actuality taking on faith, some are absolutely clueless about who or what they really are and don't seem to want to acknowledge it, and some actually are who they claim to be. The thing is, words are words, and they are not actions, and beliefs are beliefs, butbelief without action behind it, is the type of belief, that as the Christ spoke about in regards to the sower sowing his seed, that "Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture," (Luke 8:6), signifying that those that don't have true beliefs, in which their roots take hold of good soil, than they will subsequently not be able to withstand the weather as well as the vicissitudes of real life and thereby their beliefs will when they are tested, as they will invariably be, will blow away like chaff.
So too, how can people forget Peter, as foretold by the Christ, denying that he even knew Jesus, not once, but three times, yet, demonstrating later that those that fail in times of crisis, can learn from their failure, can rebuild themselves, and transform themselves to display indomitable courage and unassailable faith, so as to become the very rock to which Christianity build itself. The fault for those that do not act consistent with their professed beliefs is not that they have failed and are therefore failures, but whether or not they have failed and then after such a failure, have made amends to become what they profess their belief to truly be.
If a man is unable to act upon or defend to his utmost, his belief, than what sort of believer is this, actually? After all, a fair weather believer, is no believer at all, and isn't worth the designation of a believer, for a man that turns tail and runs when the chips are down, is hardly worthy of the distinction of being labeled a man. It is far too easy, far too common, for people to say what they are but aren't, what characteristics that they are but aren't, as well as to make promises that are not fulfilled but are empty; for how many have said, that they will take their spouse "for better, for worse, till death do us part", yet later only to calmly walk away from such a solemn vow.
It is important to have beliefs, even more important to have correct beliefs, and then having these correct beliefs to stand behind these beliefs, to defend and proselytize for them in your own way, and finally to live a life consistent with these correct beliefs. If you can do these very basic things, your life will be successful in the greatest measure of things, you certainly will be at peace, and you will have been a faithful servant to truth, honor, and your fellow countrymen.