“Act as if everything you do makes a difference. It does.” – William James
Dear Sisters and Brothers,
I saw the above quote from William James, and it sent me off on a search for scriptures to back it up. This is nowhere near an exhaustive list; but it is enough to give us the assurance that God is counting on us to not merely believe but also to DO.
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth“.
- 1 John 3:18
“By their deeds you will know them“. – Matthew 7:16:
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
– James 2:14-17
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” – Galatians 6:9-10
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” – 1 Peter 4:10
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ – Matthew 25:35-40
“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” – Titus 3:14
“If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday.” – Isaiah 58:10
It will never do for us to merely lift prayers to God asking that God would bring about changes in our world, if we are not simultaneously willing to commit ourselves to being and making the changes ourselves. St. Teresa of Avila wrote over 600 years ago, “Christ has no body but yours, no hands, no feet on earth but yours, Yours are the eyes with which He looks Compassion on this world, Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good, Yours are the hands, with which He blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, Yours are the eyes, you are His body”. We are called upon to actively look for ways to emulate Christ himself in the ways that we serve those in need.
It is right that we pray to God asking for help, but we must also commit ourselves to helping God bring about a heavenly realm on earth through our day-to-day, moment-by-moment actions.
“You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them. This is how prayer works.” – Pope Francis
Peace,
Pastor Layne