James 2:15-16:
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?
This passage reminds me of times I would hear of fellow Christians going out to eat and leaving no tip and instead leaving a tract. The outward appearance says "spiritually minded" and the words they say are "I'm giving them the best gift of all" but they are simply being selfish - keeping the money for themselves and covering their tracks with a piece of paper that will serve only to steel someone's will against Christ. Who wants to follow in the footsteps of a person who's followers mistreat others?
Paying attention to people's worldly needs: food, friendship, money is not just kindness, it is an act of Christian faith. James realized that.
Most of our lives the most Christian act we can do will have no mention of God, Christ, or the Bible. Most of our lives the most Christian act we can do will be in small actions as simple as sharing a smile.
Don't get overwhelmed trying to act out your faith. Simply love one another. As Christ said loving God and each other is what it is all about.
0 comments:
Post a Comment