Faith and Works

“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead.”  James 2:20

A few years ago, one of my former neighbors, who is a young Jewish man, and I were having a conversation.  He said, “What gets me about Christians is that they always say, ‘Just pray about it'”.  He was interpreting the admonishment of a Christian to pray about a situation as the only thing that was necessary to solve a problem or fill a need.  I attempted to explain to him that prayer is necessary, but that in many situations, there is also something for us to do.

For example, if I needed a job, I would pray that God would direct me and open some doors for me, but I would update my resume, apply for positions, practice interview skills, and do whatever I felt was needed on my part to secure a position.  I wouldn’t just ask God for a job and then do absolutely nothing but sit and wait for the phone to ring.  To not do what we know we should and then expect a successful outcome is a real exercise in futility.  I remember my former pastor from many years ago said many times that if he didn’t study God’s word in preparation to preach a sermon, then God would fill him with hot air.  In other words, if he prayed for God to give him the words to preach before the congregation, but never bothered to open the Bible and search the scriptures, then how embarrassing it would be to stand behind the pulpit on Sunday morning in silence.  A preacher in this situation might question God, asking why He had given him nothing to say, and I can imagine God saying, “You’ve got to give Me something to work with!”

Faith is exercised when we prepare for what we prayed for.  We exhibit our faith by good works.  On the other hand, though, there are some situations that come into our lives about which all we can do is pray.  To trust God and wait for an answer in these situations is an even greater exercise of our faith.