Faith, Love and Action

Today, during my morning time with Jesus, I was eager to dive into his word and to learn more about what his plans are for me, but like many times I did not know where in the bible I should begin reading.

As a result, instead of playing bible roulette, I did something that I'm trying to make more of a habit of. Ask God what he wanted to speak to me today.

So while I played worship music and waited on God, he placed the book of James on my heart.

Just the day before, during some much needed fellowship and bible study with the guys, the book of James briefly came up, primarily James 1:17. It reads,

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights who does not change like shifting shadows" (New International Version. Jas. 1.17).

Ironically the verse that talks about the perfect gifts of God led me to receive another gift from God which was some deeper reading into the book of James.

Talk about the gift that keeps on giving huh?

Though I only read the first two chapters, there was a lot of stuff in there.

One of the many things that stand out to me is James chapter one verse two and three, when it reads,

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance" (New International Version. Jas. 1.2-3).

What James is saying with this verse, is that our faith can only grow and mature, when we are faced with trials of opposition and moments of difficulty. This is when our faith is put to the test.

Although, when we become complacent and laid back in our relationship with God, not only do we become more susceptible to temptation than we would if we were constantly and faithfully pursuing God, but we fail to grow and mature in Christ.

If every good and perfect gift comes from the Father, how can we expect to be at our best without the good and perfect gifts that he gives us when we pursue him and spend time with him?

The second portion of Scripture that stands out to me is James chapter two verse one through five. It reads,

“My brothers and sisters, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ don’t show favoritism.

2 Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (New International Version. Jas. 2.1-5.).

We do this many times without even realizing it.

At church, when that new group of people walk in, and because they may appear approachable or safe to talk to, we gladly greet them and embrace them and may even befriend them. We may even introduce them to Christ and as result, because of God's grace, they could be saved.

But how about that one person that has been going to church for three weeks, yet no one has greeted them yet? How about the person that has been going to church for four months, and is hurting inside, so much so that they are too afraid to approach anyone because of their own insecurities?

It's easy to stay in the bubble of our comfort zones. But in our comfort zones we do not grow, and in the so called "solace" of our self made bubbles we could prevent ourselves from reaching people that could be deeply wanting to speak to someone yet the hurt that they are experiencing is so great, that it could prevent them from doing so.

Many times we value certain people more than others based on their appearance or what they have and ignore others that may not be as fortunate.

In other words we play favorites.

God did not play favorites. He loved those that were rich and he loved those that were poor.

First Samuel chapter sixteen verse seven reads,

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (New International Version. 1Sa. 13.7).

For God looks not at what we show or portray on the outside, but by the content and condition of our hearts.

The final thing that stood out to me from the portion of Scripture that I read, is James Chapter two verses fourteen through seventeen. It reads,

"14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (New International Version. Jas. 2.14-17).

Yep. This was the one that hit me the hardest.

How many times have we had someone come up to us and say "man I'm going going through a tough time, or "it's too much, I can't take it anymore"," amongst other statements of this variety showing that someone is definitely hurting?

An even better question should be, how many times have we noticed that this may have been a divine appointment from God?

Sometimes we are are so caught up in ourselves and being comfortable, that we may ignore someone that is in desperate need of what we have and can freely share.

The Love of Christ.

Personally for me, I was one of these types of people, and sometimes, because of my own insecurities or fears I still am.

Faith is demonstrated by action. One could say a million and a half things to a person that may be hurting, but don’t you think it would make them feel much better if someone actually did something to help change their situation rather than just wishing them luck?

Yes we may be fearful and yes we may be anxious, but none of those things are from God.

Philippians chapter four verse six reads,

“6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (New International Version. Php. 4.6).

Though anxiety is not from Christ, sometimes God allows anxiety, but solely for the purpose to bring us back to him. Anxiety tells us that we are relying on ourselves, and points us back to the one were are supposed to rely on. Yes anxiety makes us feel uncomfortable, but so does pain. Pain is not a bad thing. Pain is used in order to tell us that something is wrong. Pain tells the body that there is an issue that needs to be resolved before it becomes worse. Anxiety is the same way.

Before we make a situation worse by relying on ourselves, we best go back to Christ and faithfully allow him to work in us, so that we may act in accordance to his will. When we realize this it becomes much easier to rely on Christ and as a result move in faith, especially when someone is hurting and in need of him.

So today God really had a lot in store for me and I didn’t even know it, but that’s the best part isn’t it? When we follow after God we are never disappointed and we are never left empty.

It’s when we seek him that not only do we find him, but he does in us more than we ever imagined.

“But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul” (New International Version. Dt. 4.29).

“20-21 God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us” (The Message. Eph. 3.20-21).

Others or Ourselves

Okay. So earlier this week I had the absolute pleasure of participating in a live Nativity set for my church’s youth Christmas party. The youth room was set up in a restaurant style form, and the kids sat back and enjoyed dinner while they learned about the Nativity. It was presented in a way that was humorous, while still showing them what the Nativity is and what it symbolizes. They laughed and had a great time and I was so very blessed to be part of it.

I did not feel this way entirely though.

I mean it was wonderful and everyone, including me, had a lot fun, but before actually dramatizing my portion in the Nativity, it was the complete opposite.

The few days leading up to this wonderful Christmas party, I was absolutely dreading performing in this drama. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to do it for the youth, I love them, and I wanted them to enjoy something that they could definitely learn from. The reason that I did not want to be part of the drama was because acting in front of a group of people makes me pretty nervous. Actually, being in front of people in general makes me pretty nervous. Add anxiety to the mix and there are definitely going to be a lot of thoughts and doubts going through my mind.

Fortunately, just as it was for the Panama missions trip that I had the honor and the blessing of being part of this past year, after actually doing the drama, I was overjoyed by the fact that I did not let the fears and the doubts I imposed on myself affect something that was used to impact the lives of so many.

Yes, “afterward” it was amazing. During the process however, that was not the case. All I could think about was how I could get out of that situation. So much so that even during the run through, when I was going through my lines and finding out how little I actually knew, I was contemplating on how I could get out of that uncomfortable situation.

See, sometimes we are placed in certain situations for a specific reason, but because of our thoughts surrounded by self-doubt, fear and anxiety, they may cause us to try and control those God given situations.

It was because I was nervous and unprepared (mostly because of my own doing) that I wanted to remove myself from a place that God had called me to be. The whole time I wasn't thinking about how the situation I was in could bless another, but how it was affecting me and how it made me feel.

I had become so accustomed to running away due to feelings of fear, stress and anxiety;that I almost ran away from an opportunity to share about the birth of Christ; even if it was only for brief moment.

What came to mind as a result of this event was what I had heard a little over a week ago. I had listened to a sermon by Steven Furtick, and though he said many profound things throughout his preaching, there was one particular thing that he said that stood out to me.

“Greed always finds an excuse, generosity always finds a way.”

Just let that sink in for a moment.

What he meant by this was that many times we make decisions based on how they can benefit us instead of us trying to help out another. Or, when some situations cause us to feel uncomfortable, we decide to take the “easy” way out and decline to help someone in need.

“No I’m sorry, I have that thing…yeah the same thing that I always say when you ask me for help… yeah that. Sorry, maybe next time.”

The more one says no, the more those “next times” diminish away until they just stop coming at all.

Being men and women of God we should stop trying to control certain God given moments in order to seek comfort, and instead seek to be generous. Generosity doesn't mean saying yes to every single opportunity that comes to you, but if you are able, you should be willing. It is when we are demonstrating generosity that were are not only being faithful to Christ, but we are being more Christ-like.

Shortly after the Christmas party came to a conclusion, my amazing pastor blessed me, as well as several others, with the wonderful invitation of a spontaneous movie night at his house.

How does this tie in with us taking control of situations in our lives?

Well the first movie that we watched was “The Giver” and that film is simply amazing and very impactful, especially when looking at it from a different lens. Just to give a brief summary of the movie, so yes spoilers, the movie takes place in a totalitarian society in which every aspect of each person’s individual life is controlled, monitored, and censored. Their spouses, their jobs, and even the clothes that they wear are all strategically selected in order for the town to be able to maintain their idea of “sameness.” This society is also devoid of all feelings, color, music and many things that we may take for granted in our lives.

The choices of the citizens of this society were taken from them. They were being manipulated by the elders of the town, because the elders felt if they gave the citizens the freedom to make their own choices that they would chose the wrong ones every time. But that was not a choice for any of the leaders to make on the behalf of others. If the leaders wanted to impose those rules on themselves, that is their choice, but removing the choices of an entire society and causing them to be oblivious to anything and everything else that is out there goes far beyond anything that could be considered humane or fair.

What the elders were trying to do was play God. They were anxious, fearful, doubtful, and stressed about what could happen because of what had happen, and as a result, they tried to control something that was never meant to be controlled. They were uncomfortable about their situations, and instead of being generous, they opted for greed.

Greed only ever benefits one person, or at least it seems that way. The person making the choice to become greedy deceives themselves into believing that they are helping themselves by not doing something that makes them uncomfortable, but they are really robbing themselves of blessing someone else, and in turn themselves.

In the movie the elders robbed themselves of the opportunity of having a better society than not only of those of the past, but of the one in the present. Unfortunately, because they felt safe in the choices that they believed that they could control, they were just hurting themselves, lying to an entire community that trusted them, and prevented people from living life the way that it was natural meant to be lived.

Fortunately, there are protagonists for these types of situations.

The main character in the movie, Jonas, the receiver of memory, was not consumed by the greed that had dominated his elders and in turn the community. Though he had been under the control of the leaders his entire life, after he began receiving memories from the Giver (The previous receiver of memory), he had the knowledge and the memories that no one else had. Through those memories, he experienced what color was, and music, love and death. As a result he decided that he wasn't going to stop until everyone in the town knew the truth about everything that was being withheld from them, even if it cost him his life.

Jonas could have become complacent and greedy to try and control the climate inside of him, because of the uncertainty of his plans, but instead he decided to be generous and selfless and gave up everything that he knew was safe in order to bring the truth to the people he cared so much for.

Sound familiar?

John chapter three verses sixteen and seventeen read,

“16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (New International Version. Jn. 3.16-17).

God gave up everything. His one son, his one and perfect son, in order for humanity to be saved. He counted the cost, and he knew the immense amount of hardship that his son would endure in his life, but because God’s society was suffering so greatly and indulging in things that that they knew not the harmful effects of, he had to act.

It was because God’s insurmountable love, that he generously and freely gave his son in order to save us. He found a way in which no other could have. The love from God is not controlled or swayed, it is freely given out of love.

And this was just the first movie.

As if the first movie wasn't a blessing enough, my Pastor decided to put on another film that I had never seen before, “Jurassic Park.”

Like “The Giver,” “Jurassic Park” had a character that also tried to play the role of God, and just like in “The Giver” it did not end well for those trying to supersede him. Again, just to summarize the movie, so yes more spoilers, “Jurassic Park” for the most part, takes place on an island in Central America. One of the main antagonists, an older gentleman by the name of John Hammond, found a way to create dinosaurs from ancient dinosaur DNA that was recently discovered. Though many would consider this is an amazing feat, and perhaps it was, Hammond’s reasons for bringing back these ancient creatures was not for anyone else’s benefit other than his own.

For one, even though he found a way to create dinosaurs, instead of reaching out to scientists in order to contribute to further research of these ancient animals, he kept the secret all to himself. That is until he himself needed something. When he thought that his park might not open because of I don’t know, it not being safe for people, he reached out to a small group of scientists, to persuade them into believing that the park was completely safe so that he could get their word to back him up. He even invited his own grandchildren to the park to prove how “safe” it was for the children.

What he was doing was being selfish and manipulative.

His own selfishness and greed had even influenced those around him in that very same attitude. Dennis Nedry, the man responsible for taking down the security in the park, thus releasing the dinosaurs, acted out of greed by trying to sell the dinosaur DNA to another for a profit. Ultimately this did not end well for him or for several others, but this does prove a point.

Everything we do affects someone or something. Cause and effect.

In the case of “Jurassic Park” Hammond’s poor decisions lead to others making equally poor decisions, which ultimately ended up costing them more than just some money or fame. Had Hammond demonstrated an attitude of generosity and become an example to his peers, this entire situation could have been averted.

His greed to open an amusement park, which was rejected because of the lack of safety of the park, led him to want to control the situation. His greed was so severe in fact, that it led him to invite his own grandchildren in order to prove that the park was safe, when obviously it was not. His selfishness had put the lives of his own family at risk, just for a chance of getting what he "thought" he wanted. As a result, the park failed, and myriads of dangerous not so extinct dinosaurs escaped.Because of this they killed several lesser characters in the film and nearly killed the protagonists and those close to them as well.

On top of that, Hammond was manipulating nature, and taking on a role that was never meant for him to adopt. He was trying to bring to life what God declared as dead millions of years ago.

How many times in our lives do we try to control certain situations in our favor or bring things back to life after God declared them as dead for our own good?

Like Hammond sometimes we forget two very important things.

One that certain things are removed from our lives for a reason and should remain that way unless God says otherwise. And two, sometimes we forget the positions that we’re given, and seek to either reject the responsibilities of the position we are given, or try to excel to a higher one that was never meant for us to occupy.

Had Hammond opted for generosity and listened and stopped trying to pursue what he was told not to, there would have been no dinosaurs, and there would have been several more characters that would have still been alive by the time the credits hit the screen.

Ultimately, though it may be easier to submit to our various feelings of doubt and inadequacy that so often bring excuses, it is always worth so much more to be generous; for the sake of others and ourselves.

For when we opt for generosity, we are demonstrating not greed or offering excuses, but we are demonstrating and offering something that this world seems to lack.

Love.

Whenever I’m dealing with issues of stress and anxiety amongst other feelings trying to influence me to make poor decisions that I think will benefit me, but really benefits no one at all, I like to think about a specific scripture in the bible.

In Matthew chapter twenty-five verses thirty-five through forty, it reads,

35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to Me’” (New King James Version. Matt. 25.35-40).

Or in the words of Victor Hugo, “To love another person is to see the face of God.” - Victor Hugo, Les Misérables