I can talk the talk. Just like any one can. I can tell you that I am a faith believer. I believe God and what His word says. I believe He loves us immeasurably. I believe His resurrected son is the price paid for our sins.
But if I can’t turn that faith and belief in him into actions. What good is it? What good am I?
I’ve been a Christian my whole life. But I can’t honestly say for that for the first 25+ years I’ve provem that to be true. I was easily angered. I didn’t care about others. It was all about me.
Now, God’s called me. He’s changing me. He’s leading me to a path of denying my self. It’s no longer about me. It never was about me. Unfortunately I just didn’t know that.
Now I know. And for me to sit around knowing that this great God loved me so much that he was willing to lay down his life for me. What kind of token of appreciation would that be?
Oh God, thank you so much for saving me. I love you so much. Oh and you know that bigger house I want? Oh yeah, and can you please heal my kids of this sickness. Oh yeah and about that pay raise? Oh God, I forgot. Please give me ultimate patience too.
But it’s more like. God you are amazing in every way. There is no way to ever repay for what you have done for me. But I love you so much God that I’m bursting. I simply have to share what you’ve done for me. If I can do that by lending a helping hand or comforting a friend or reaching out to a stranger, please God use me.
James 2:14 …what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone.
Or as it reads in The Message … do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it?
These works can’t be done apart from faith. They are done with faith. James is saying he want us as Christians to have faith that is shown by our actions.
I don’t want to be self absorbed. I want to be absorbed into likeness with Christ.
May my life shine bright and strong.
Love and blessings to you!
Melanie
I love this devotion! This is something I know that I struggle with a ton. It is so easy to be so wrapped up in “self” when we really need to be wrapped up in Jesus and actually living out the gospel.
That’s exactly it. I want to be wrapped up in Jesus!
“I want to be absorbed into the likeness of Christ.”
And for others to see him in me.
What a wonderful devotional Melanie! 🙂
Thanks Diane! Glad you stopped by!