August 27th, 2021
By Tina Yerkes
If you have ever watched the show, Friends, there is an iconic scene where the friends are attempting to bring a sofa up the stairs and get stuck. They all stand there, not knowing what to do, with this oversized sofa in a small NYC stairwell and, well, tensions begin to rise.
Our faith journey can sometimes feel a little bit like a stuck sofa. Even if we have people surrounding us to help, we just don’t know what to do, how to respond, what to think or believe. We may even have a community or family surrounding us and can still feel stuck. And we ask the question, “What am I supposed to do?”
Having a faith in Jesus Christ is of utmost importance in our lives and for those in our lives. What we believe matters. It is right and good to have that experience of asking Jesus in our hearts and He does begin a miraculous work in us so that someday we will be with Him in Heaven. James, the brother of Jesus, uses some strong language when speaking to the early church about what to DO with their faith.
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God, Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? James 2:14-26
We have opportunities each and every day to see a need and help. And most of the time, it takes just a moment to step out of our own To-Do list to see what is needed at that moment. I know that I can get “tunnel vision” when it comes to my day, especially a day off. I have my own list of things to accomplish and rarely room for something to come along that requires me to pivot. But God calls us to have faith AND do something about it. It doesn’t have to be going overseas on a mission trip. It can be as simple as helping someone reach an item in the grocery store, spending time with someone who lives alone, providing a meal or making a long overdue phone call.
Look for areas where you can help, especially the little things. Please don’t let your faith be just about your thoughts and beliefs. Put it in action. How can you pivot today?
If you have ever watched the show, Friends, there is an iconic scene where the friends are attempting to bring a sofa up the stairs and get stuck. They all stand there, not knowing what to do, with this oversized sofa in a small NYC stairwell and, well, tensions begin to rise.
Our faith journey can sometimes feel a little bit like a stuck sofa. Even if we have people surrounding us to help, we just don’t know what to do, how to respond, what to think or believe. We may even have a community or family surrounding us and can still feel stuck. And we ask the question, “What am I supposed to do?”
Having a faith in Jesus Christ is of utmost importance in our lives and for those in our lives. What we believe matters. It is right and good to have that experience of asking Jesus in our hearts and He does begin a miraculous work in us so that someday we will be with Him in Heaven. James, the brother of Jesus, uses some strong language when speaking to the early church about what to DO with their faith.
What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?
So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God, Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? James 2:14-26
We have opportunities each and every day to see a need and help. And most of the time, it takes just a moment to step out of our own To-Do list to see what is needed at that moment. I know that I can get “tunnel vision” when it comes to my day, especially a day off. I have my own list of things to accomplish and rarely room for something to come along that requires me to pivot. But God calls us to have faith AND do something about it. It doesn’t have to be going overseas on a mission trip. It can be as simple as helping someone reach an item in the grocery store, spending time with someone who lives alone, providing a meal or making a long overdue phone call.
Look for areas where you can help, especially the little things. Please don’t let your faith be just about your thoughts and beliefs. Put it in action. How can you pivot today?
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