James 2:21-24
Don’t you remember that even our
father Abraham was declared good because of what he did when he was
willing to obey God, even if it meant offering his son Isaac to die on
the altar? You see, he was trusting God so much that he was willing to
do whatever God told him to; his faith was made complete by what he
did—by his actions, his good deeds. And so it happened just as the
Scriptures say, that Abraham trusted God, and the Lord declared him good
in God’s sight, and he was even called “the friend of God.” So you see,
a man is saved by what he does, as well as by what he believes.
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday, Timothy wanted
me to play “Spiderman” with him. What this amounted to was that I
pretended that a “villain” was after me…and Timothy pretended to be
Spiderman and rescued me with his “webs” that he “shot” from his hands
to capture the bad guy. He thought of several villains for me to
pretend were attacking…and then he said, “Now, you think of one.” I
chose Cat Woman. He said, “No, no! Cat Woman goes with Batman. Well,
okay…I’ll be Batman.”
So Timothy pretended to be Batman (and he
changed his “voice” to fit the character). I told him that Cat Woman was
bothering me, and he looked a little frustrated and said, “Well…she’s
kinda my wife, so I can’t really do anything about that! But I guess I
could talk to her and see if she will leave you alone.”
So often,
we are like the Timothy/Batman character. We tell God…I hear you
calling for me to do XYZ…but my hands are tied. There’s really not much
I can do. (Insert excuses here!) We claim weakness of some sort…lack
of time…desire to pursue other interests…feelings of inferiority, and
more. We blame our family, our job, and our studies. Sometimes, we like
how things are going…even when we know that what we are doing is not
really what God wants. And sometimes, we just simply are not willing to
do what God asks, whether we readily admit this or not.
Do these
sound like the actions of someone who has unwavering faith in God to
handle every single detail? Does this reflect the confidence of someone
who truly believes that when God calls us to do something, He
will adjust our schedules, smooth out the rough spots, and fully equip
us to do it? Is our trust in God as strong as that of Abraham? Could we
place our child upon an altar, draw a sharp knife, and prepare to
sacrifice him/her because we “heard” or “felt” an unseen God tell us to
do this?
Just how big is our faith, anyway?! When we claim to
trust in God for all things, are we making a point…or are we making a
difference? Do our words and actions demonstrate our confidence and
obedience…or have we tailored a Christian “faith” that suits our
timetable and personal desires? Do our excuses sound about as lame as
those of a six-year-old “Batman” who claims he has little control over a
villain?
Look…true Christian faith is scary sometimes. God
calls us to step up – and out – and to do some pretty daunting things.
Speaking up is hard for some of us, while others find it a stretch to
give up control – of lots of things! But all we have to do is think
about Jesus…how He obeyed God…how he suffered and sacrificed – and stood up for you and me, in amazing, incomprehensible ways.
Now I ask you again…how big is your faith…and are you ready to show it?
©2015 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label being lazy in our faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label being lazy in our faith. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for October 12, 2013
Proverbs 6:6-11
You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We awoke to a thunderstorm and a dreary, rainy Saturday morning… perfect for hanging out in your pajamas or “sweats” and lounging with an extra cup of coffee. And there is nothing wrong with taking an occasional “day off” and being lazy. The problem is that many of us have made this a habit – if not our daily routine. There is every possibility that we did not intend to become this way… but as this passage indicates, we let a nap here and a day off there turn into a regular routine. And soon, we were not even making the effort to appear active and engaged. Our room/apartment/house is a wreck… we haven’t done laundry or mowed the yard in a month or better… dishes are piled high in the sink and there is little food in the fridge – and what is there has ruined. We rummage through the drawers and closets to find something clean enough for school or work… and we hurry home to put on our pjs or “sweats” and crawl back onto the couch or into bed.
I know this sounds extreme, but I am afraid that a lot of people truly live this way! And if you don’t feel that you fit into this description, let me ask you about your life as a Christian disciple. How is your relationship with God? Are you talking to Him every day and seeking ways to honor Him? Are you actually doing anything to serve God… to exercise your “faith muscle” and grow in Christian wisdom and strength? Or are you counting on others to do the work… depending on them to pray for you and those around you…expecting them to do the volunteering, teach the classes, study the Bible, and reach out to others in Jesus’ name? Are you essentially snuggled under the covers in your pjs, taking it easy…and expecting God to continue to bless you?
Here’s the thing… #1) this is not how God operates. He didn’t call you to be a disciple of Christ so you could sit on your duff all day and take Him – and the gift of salvation and its promise of eternity in heaven – for granted; and #2) why would you want this kind of existence in the first place? Spending your life on the sidelines is not truly living! Not only are you missing out on the wonderful gifts that God wants to bestow upon you in this earthly lifetime while you are lazing around… you are forfeiting the amazing blessings that He wishes to share with you as you grow in His wisdom and learn more about His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love.
I don’t know where you fit in this picture. I certainly don’t know how or when you got where you are. But if you find yourself in some state of laziness… physically, mentally or spiritually, I encourage you to make the conscious decision to change. Ask God to show you how to do this. Let Him guide you as you “get off the couch” and get going again. You will be amazed at how much better you feel… and you will be truly astounded at what awaits you as you develop new habits. You can still spend an occasional Saturday morning on the couch in your pjs… but I’m betting you’ll find far more exciting things to fill most of your time. With God’s help… I’m quite sure of it! Are you ready to get up and get going?
©2013 Debbie Robus
You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
We awoke to a thunderstorm and a dreary, rainy Saturday morning… perfect for hanging out in your pajamas or “sweats” and lounging with an extra cup of coffee. And there is nothing wrong with taking an occasional “day off” and being lazy. The problem is that many of us have made this a habit – if not our daily routine. There is every possibility that we did not intend to become this way… but as this passage indicates, we let a nap here and a day off there turn into a regular routine. And soon, we were not even making the effort to appear active and engaged. Our room/apartment/house is a wreck… we haven’t done laundry or mowed the yard in a month or better… dishes are piled high in the sink and there is little food in the fridge – and what is there has ruined. We rummage through the drawers and closets to find something clean enough for school or work… and we hurry home to put on our pjs or “sweats” and crawl back onto the couch or into bed.
I know this sounds extreme, but I am afraid that a lot of people truly live this way! And if you don’t feel that you fit into this description, let me ask you about your life as a Christian disciple. How is your relationship with God? Are you talking to Him every day and seeking ways to honor Him? Are you actually doing anything to serve God… to exercise your “faith muscle” and grow in Christian wisdom and strength? Or are you counting on others to do the work… depending on them to pray for you and those around you…expecting them to do the volunteering, teach the classes, study the Bible, and reach out to others in Jesus’ name? Are you essentially snuggled under the covers in your pjs, taking it easy…and expecting God to continue to bless you?
Here’s the thing… #1) this is not how God operates. He didn’t call you to be a disciple of Christ so you could sit on your duff all day and take Him – and the gift of salvation and its promise of eternity in heaven – for granted; and #2) why would you want this kind of existence in the first place? Spending your life on the sidelines is not truly living! Not only are you missing out on the wonderful gifts that God wants to bestow upon you in this earthly lifetime while you are lazing around… you are forfeiting the amazing blessings that He wishes to share with you as you grow in His wisdom and learn more about His grace, mercy, forgiveness and unconditional love.
I don’t know where you fit in this picture. I certainly don’t know how or when you got where you are. But if you find yourself in some state of laziness… physically, mentally or spiritually, I encourage you to make the conscious decision to change. Ask God to show you how to do this. Let Him guide you as you “get off the couch” and get going again. You will be amazed at how much better you feel… and you will be truly astounded at what awaits you as you develop new habits. You can still spend an occasional Saturday morning on the couch in your pjs… but I’m betting you’ll find far more exciting things to fill most of your time. With God’s help… I’m quite sure of it! Are you ready to get up and get going?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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