Faith In Action
“If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?” James 2:14-15
James is writing about allowing one’s faith to be shown by good works–not in an attempt to earn God’s acceptance, but to show gratitude for God’s love and mercy. If James was living today, he might say, “Put your money where your mouth is.” In other words, don’t just talk about doing for others; use what resources you have to help those in need. That is one of the basic premises of the Christian faith. God blesses us materially and financially in order to bless others, not to spend it on ourselves in buying stuff that we don’t need which will eventually be discarded.
If we have the means to fill a true need of another, then that’s what God expects us to do. We don’t have to be wealthy to give. We are to give in proportion to what God allows us to possess. He can make a little go a long way. Remember the boy with the five loaves and two fish? He willingly gave them to Jesus, and, of course, Jesus did what He always does–He blessed the gift beyond measure (John 6:9-13). After everyone had their fill, there were twelve baskets of food left over. Scriptures do not say, but in my vivid imagination I can picture Jesus giving one of the baskets full of loaves and fish to the young boy to take home. I can also imagine that his mother, upon looking at all that free food, asking him, “Where in the world did you get all of these loaves and fishes?” I suppose the boy would have answered, “A Man named Jesus gave them to me and, Mom, you wouldn’t believe what He did!” I am glad that we have what is called “the mind’s eye” so that we can read the various accounts in scripture and picture them in our minds. Doing so helps us to remember the different stories in scripture.
When we exercise our faith through giving our time, talents, and treasures, God blesses us in ways we can’t even imagine. The prophet Malachi wrote that when we are obedient in giving, God will “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10). However, giving in order to receive a material blessing is the wrong motive. I have found that the real blessing is in knowing that I have helped someone along the way, have made his or her life a little better, and have been obedient to the Lord. Also, though, that which I have given away has never caused me to be in need. The more that we are blessed by our obedience, the more we have to share with others.
This verse in James reminds me of a humorous story. It really doesn’t have anything to do with the message, but maybe it will bring a smile to your face. Many years ago I was employed at the local Air Force Reserve Base. One of my fellow co-workers was a man who was really funny. One day he left the office and drove up to the Base Exchange to buy cigarettes. One of the ladies in the office asked him to get her a honeybun. When he returned, he told her that since she had requested that the honeybun be warmed and flattened, he sat on it on the way back! I don’t remember what I said to him, but I imagine that I said something like, “Man, that’s gross!” He was quite a character. I think every work place has its character. If anything, at least they liven up what might be an otherwise dull workplace. I think that God desires for us to enjoy life, and there is no better enjoyment that serving the living God.