James 2:14-17 – “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself.”
Have you ever felt very disappointed that you had strong ‘faith’ that a situation was going to turn out for good but in the end, it turned out otherwise? Well; I have been there a couple of times. There may be many reasons for the turnout of such events but one of the common reasons is that often times, we do not back our Faith with works.
Our Heavenly Father wants us to appreciate today that, faith and works go hand in hand. Faith is the strong assurance and hope that God will surely do what He has said and promised He will do. In other words, if God has not spoken, there is no basis for faith.
That is to say also that, the fact that you believe something strongly does not mean that God will do it because, God will act in accordance with His word. Before you call what you feel ‘faith’, first find out whether truly God has spoken concerning the issue. Secondly, faith must propel you to work hard. If you receive a promise from God that you will be rich, then you have to start learning about how to sustain wealth and bless lives with it.
If God says you will marry this year and He confirms the life partner for you, go ahead as He guides you; propose and plan well for the marriage. In other words, you cannot be confessing faith and yet be lazy. Unfortunately, you find many people in church 24/7 jumping in ‘faith’ to every declaration, yet make zero efforts to live that fulfilled life they hope for.
I want to challenge you today. It is true that with God, we will make it this year. However, God in your life does not mean the absence of work. You need to trust God 100% but also work hard 100%. God will do His part by watering the grounds but we must go to the field and plant the seed. Let your faith apropel you to work. That is true Christianity.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wisdom in our lives. Please grant me the wisdom and grace to balance faith with works, that Your blessings will be fully manifested in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Question for Meditation
What do I need to do to see God’s promise manifest in my life?
