This past Sunday our preacher, Tony, taught us about the value of works in faith. It's not enough to believe in something and not work for it. The same is true with any job, any marriage, or any dream. If you want something and you believe that one day you'll have it, you have to realize that you will have to work towards it. Simple belief is not enough.
We know that faith also without love does not benefit either. How can you believe in something that you do not love? Or how can you love something you do not believe in? This we can see in 1 Corinthians 13:2 which reads, "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
I am nothing? My faith means nothing? As I read the words from James 2:24 & 26 I was struck with a chilling question. Have I been working, truly loving, believing, and working for Christ? In my heart I know the answer is 'no' because I know my capabilities. I know that I want, in my heart, to do so much more for Christ. I want to tell His story and my story but as just now learned that it's not enough to love, to believe without working.
"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." -James 2:24
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." -James 2:26
Sure, I've told my story and I've read the bible and I've worked with bible studies but if I ask myself to really take inventory to see if I've been truly working for Christ I have to admit to myself 'no'. You see, it's in my heart and both God and I know of my good intentions, but good intentions mean nothing without action. My faith does mean nothing without the backbone of love or the structure of good works.
This morning was an interesting display of how God works in our lives. Speaking of 'good works' since Tony's lesson on Sunday night and watching this really cute movie called "Letters To God" I've started to have an even bigger desire to get more involved in my community.
The movie was about a little boy who had cancer and how he inspired the lives of others; how he was a beakon of God's courage and strength. He wasn't just spiritual or faithful for his own situation, he was because he knew that God wanted him to be that for the people around him, his friends and family. At the end of the movie, when the credits start rolling, they start to show more pictures of kids and adults who have beaten cancer or touched the lives of their families and friends. It came to me that while their story was beautiful and true, not everyone in this world was called to have cancer in order to be a warrior for Christ. They are true survivors as are others. Isn't that what Christianity is? To be the strength that leads friends, family, and strangers to loving God, despite your own life? That perhaps it's because you have the life you've been given that you are to show Gods courage and love by using your own example?
So, as I sat in the shower still thinking about my life and their lives and how fortunate I have been but also how wasteful of my time. It was then that I really started to put ideas into my heart. Since then I've prayed about them and asked God for His help and guidance, for his courage to start something new, something different but I haven't let Him give me that courage.
For some reason I froze with fear yesterday when I was going to do something, DO some thing that would help me feel better about the legitamacy of my faith. I don't know why. Perhaps it was that I had isolated myself and was afraid to come out, afraid of everything I had imagined going wrong. So, when I got home I prayed about it again and asked forgiveness for allowing my fears to get the best of me.
One of the many attributes I love about God is that He always hears what's in my heart and if it's something He wants me to do He will let me know in His own way.
As I logged into my e-mail this morning I saw my daily encouraging word from our local Christian radio station. Everyday I read another scripture and for the past week it has been that one scripture that I just needed to hear and mediate on. This morning's encouraging scripture was James 2:17.
" So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."
How Awesome is our God?
Has God done anything similar in your life? Let me hear about it.
