“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

James 2:14-17 ( NIV )

Prayer:

Lord, help me to be a beacon for Your love to others. Open my eyes to the many works, no matter how little they may seem, You want me to do for You. Guide me in my everyday life so that my actions towards others are pleasing to You. In Your name, Lord, I pray. Amen.

James tells us that being a Christian means more than just having faith in God. He says we must do works and deeds as well. I think many Christians, especially new Christians or those seeking God, wonder what kind of works James is talking about. With God being so wondrous how can we ever do enough to please Him? This causes many to feel they need to do big things to please God. In his book, The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, “Great opportunities may come once in a lifetime but small opportunities surround us every day.” So what does that mean? First, I like to replace the words “works” and “deeds” with the word “actions” as James does in verse 17 “ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. “ Rick Warren is saying that if we're always looking for that big gesture we miss the little things God puts before us such as shaking the hand of a stranger or forgiving someone who may have done us wrong. We don't need, and we shouldn't try, to do big things so others can say, “What a wonderful thing that person did.” My mom told me this adage, “A good deed that needed to be shouted from the roof tops was never a good deed to begin with.” God wants us to be beacons for His love. All that He gives us He wants us to share with others and share it in a humble manner. Our faith can't grow by keeping it to ourselves, more importantly, we don't help others grow. As a youth leader I have seen this by the actions of the youth members. Their willingness to share their beliefs as well as share themselves is a true witness of God's love. As Christians, we are watched every day. Other people see our actions: how we conduct ourselves and treat others. We must show and share the love for and by God that's in our hearts, not keep it to ourselves.

JOE JOHNSON