Read: James 2:14-26
Occasionally I’ll find myself reading a Scripture that steps on my toes. We like to write down and memorize the verses that make us feel good, or remind us that we’re not alone. But the ones that include lines like “What good is it?” and “Senseless person!”…well, those don’t usually make it onto a DaySpring greeting card.
But it’s not just the happy verses that we need to read and study. The Bible is a full story and we need all of it – the parts that make sense, and the ones that confuse us. The feel good stories and the ones we’ll never see taught on a felt board in Sunday school. And sometimes we need a reminder that just saying what we believe isn’t enough (even the demons believe in God!) – we have a responsibility to go and make disciples, to be salt and light to the world around us, and to love others the way Christ first loved us.
Don’t get me wrong – this Scripture in no way tells us that we are SAVED by our works. Salvation is and will always be a gift. But it is a reminder that accepting that gift of salvation means using the talents God has given us, working alongside one another to make a difference. Faith, if it’s all just words and no action, is like our lives without love – just clanging noise and taking up space.
Reflection Questions:
- What ways have you experienced work without faith, or faith without work?
- How is your experience different when they’re combined?
- How would your work-hard, rest-well life be different if you were able to approach holy hustle as “faith in action”?
