Mirror the Word

 “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says.” – James 1:22

As a teacher to kids, I have the amazing opportunity to speak words into the ears of earnest listeners who are just itching to learn about something they’ve never heard before.  I love seeing the light bulb go off in their heads when something that I’ve said “clicks.”  It’s always my hope, however, that listening isn’t where it stops…it’s always my hope that the kids take what they’ve heard and mirror it in their own lives. 

Thankfully, I’ve had the blessing of seeing kids apply what they hear to their lives.  I think about the times kids have come to me and shared that they want to make missions their career, or the times kids have shared with me how they showed Jesus’ love, and even the times I’ve gotten to go on mission trips with kids and watch them serve.  To see them live out the words that they’ve heard or read from the Bible and reflect that in their own lives fills me with so much joy and thankfulness, but it makes me equally aware that I do that personally in my own life as well.

The book of James has quite a bit to say about how we as Christians should live out our faith…and one of those ways is by putting action to what we learn from the Scripture.  Read this powerful passage from James 1:22-25:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

Those first three sentences are very influential and important.  We can’t just listen to what we hear or read from the Scriptures.  We…and notice the word James uses…must do what it says. 

Now in some cases, for a Christian, doing what the Scripture says is kind of a no-brainer…look at these examples (and note that there are many others that could fit in this category):

- Worshipping God (1 Chronicles 16:23-31)

o   Attending church, singing worship music in car

- Telling others about Jesus (Matthew 28:19)

o   Going on a mission trip, teaching people about the Bible

- Reading the Bible (Joshua 1:8)

o   Memorizing scripture, committing ourselves to daily quiet time

- Praying with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:16)

o   Thanking God for his blessings, praying for others

In other cases, for a Christian, doing what the Scripture says is a lot harder than it sounds (and note that there are many others that could fit in this category too):

- Speaking truth in love (Ephesians 4:15)

o   Do we share our frustrations with others lovingly or with no regard to their feelings?

- Carrying another person’s burdens (Galatians 6:2)

o   Are we willing to walk with our hurting brothers and sisters in their deepest sadness and hurt?

- Being concerned about others and encouraging them (Hebrews 10:24-25)

o   Do we truly have concern for what others are going through in their day to day lives?  Enough to reach out to them and offer them an encouraging word?

- Losing our life for Christ (Mark 8:35)

o   Would we be willing to lose our life for believing in Jesus, as is the case today for so many martyrs around the world?

Quite a lot to consider, isn’t it?  You see, the words of the Bible aren’t just suggestions for us as Christians to follow, they are the commands of God that He expects we follow.  Some things require simply our obedience, other requests require sacrifice…the giving of ourselves. 

James uses a very powerful visual in the passage above…did you see what it was?  A mirror!  What a great illustration for us to have to visualize how the Word of God is to be an essential part of our lives.  If we glanced in a mirror and then forgot what we looked like, what was the purpose of going to the mirror in the first place?  A mirror is a reflection of who we are.  That is what the Bible is to us as Christians!  The Bible tells us who we as Christians ARE to be!  It’s our guidebook for how to live, it’s our answer key to the tests of life, it’s our mirror into the image of Christ!  Like James says, we must do what it says!

I realize and understand that doing everything that the Bible says is a tall order to fill.  It’s hard to do some of the things the Bible asks us to do.  However, in order to heed the words of the Bible we have to be willing to step outside of our own boxes, egos, and comfort zones to put action to what the Word of God says to do.  James says in verse 22 that if we don’t, we’re simply fooling ourselves.  I don’t want to be a foolish Christian…I want to be a following Christian…one that follows the truths and words of the Bible, no matter how hard they might be.

Look at yourself in the mirror, whether literally or figuratively, and ask yourself this question, “Am listening AND putting into action the Word of God?"  If your answer is yes, then good job, you are totally on the right track and if you have any advice for the rest of us in how to live a life of complete surrender to the Word, please share it with us!  If your answer is no, then stop and contemplate where you are falling short.  Is it in obedience?  Is it in sacrifice?  Is it in something else?  Pray about it and ask God to reveal to you how to follow Him in what He asks you to do through His Word.  Finally, DO IT…mirror His Word!

Mirror the Word of God!

"Let Our Faith Be More Than Anthems..."

“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” - James 2:17

In my car the first three radio presets are to Christian music stations – K-Love, 106.9 The Light, and AirOne.  You can pretty well gather that if you see me singing my heart out in my car (not ashamed or embarrassed about that BTW), it’s probably to a Christian song.  All the songs I sing in church are Christian songs and I always try to pick ones that represent the lessons God is currently teaching me.   I love how Christian music artists can take the thoughts of my heart and put them into words.  These songs have a way of speaking to your soul.  They say what you are feeling and express what you’re going through and how God is in control of it all. 

Recently, however, I came across a line of one of these Christian songs that “struck a chord” with me (that pun was intended).  In the new Newsboys song, We Believe, there is a short line in the second verse that reads like this, “So let our faith be more than anthems, greater than the songs we sing.”  Goodness gracious…that is one loaded lyric.  When we’re listening to or singing songs about serving others (Matthew Wests’ Do Something), trusting God in hard times (Matt Redmond’s You Never Let Go), sharing Jesus with others (Britt Nicole’s The Lost Get Found), worshipping our Creator (Kari Jobe’s Revelation Song), or living like Christ (Casting Crown’s Lifesong) we have to make them more than just anthems of our heart – we HAVE to live them out. 

Think right now of your favorite Christian song.  Usually for me my favorite changes from week-to-week…but for now think of the one that comes to your mind first.  Sing it to yourself…it’s okay if you can’t sing, we can’t hear you :)  Okay, now analyze the lyrics you are singing.  Are you living those words out?  Do you believe them with your whole heart?  Is your faith more than this anthem…greater than this song you are singing? 

I’m just using the above songs as examples…any song that we sing in a service at church or at the top of our lungs in our car or shower apply to this thought.  We must put feet to our faith (which is evidenced by the lyrics of these songs we love) and make these anthems more than just words.  The book of James had to have inspired this lyric, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)  FOR SURE we cannot be saved by works alone, we are saved by our faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).  However as believers in Jesus, our works (which include our godly actions and lifestyle) show the world, especially unbelievers, that we believe Christ.  Our actions are the evidence of our faith.  Galatians 5:6 says, “When we place our faith in Christ Jesus…what is important is faith expressing itself in love.”  We don't need to keep our faith locked inside ourselves, we need to live it out!  My NLT Life Application Study Bible sums this up beautifully, “We cannot earn our salvation by serving and obeying God.  But such actions show that our commitment to God is real.  Deeds of loving service are not a substitute for, but rather a verification of, our faith in Christ” (pg. 2118).

Don’t be passive in your faith.  Yes, it’s awesome you believe in Jesus…but show that you believe in Him!  Be that light to the world.  Be that city on a hill.  “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” (Matthew 5:16)  Let your faith be MORE THAN anthems and so much greater than the songs you sing.

Love Through Action

“Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
– 1 John 3:18

The Mario Brothers…apparently that’s “THE” costume this year as was evidenced by the masses that showed up to Morristown’s community-wide Boo Fest extravaganza.  I think Mario & Luigi must have come through the FBC Morristown booth at least a dozen times last night…except they all looked a little different in the face!  **Side note: wasn’t that video game popular in like the ‘80s?  Crazy how fads disappear and reappear!**

Anyways…our church brought out our mobile bus to this community event and created the coolest booth I’ve seen…a slide booth!  In order to get off the bus, the kids had to slide out it!  I got to be in the bus as the kids prepared to slide out and let me tell you, 100% of the kids had huge smiles on their faces as they realized we weren’t joking…we had a real, bon-a-fide slide!  I heard this over and over, “THIS IS SO COOL!”  I never realized how many people showed up to an event like this and was so overwhelmed that we were able to outreach to that many people over a 4 hour period.  No, we didn’t preach to them, we showed love to them…love for the community, love for the families, and love for the kids.  And I think that’s where outreach starts…love.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  This was a quote by guest speaker (and friend) Rabbi Greg Hershberg this past Sunday when he spoke at First Baptist Morristown.  It was an original quote by Theodore Roosevelt, but the point the Rabbi was making was that in order to reach others for Christ, it is vital to build relationships with them.  This quote rang over and over in my mind last night at Boo Fest and really as I thought about outreach in general.  Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Jesus isn’t just telling us to love one another; He’s commanding us to love one another which means we MUST do it.  When we love others as He loved us, we are setting an example to the lost around us that Jesus lives in us and is love thereby showing them that He loves them too! 

The lost don’t care if we have a Masters degree in Christian education.  It means nothing to the lost that we have years of evangelism experience in the church.  The lost couldn't care less about how many people attended church last weekend.  But there’s one common concept that the non-believer will understand and that is love.  The average person knows what it means to love someone or something and understands that if they are shown love and care, then they are valued and special.  I think the following scripture speaks so well to this point, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).  As this verse continues, Paul goes on to describe love…that it is patient and kind, it doesn’t envy, isn’t showy, isn’t rude, rejoices in truth, that it “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things,” and finally that it never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8 paraphrased). 

As we reach the lost, let’s strive to build relationships with them!  I am seeing this at our seasonal backyard Bible club as we are going to the same location, building relationships through love and care with each of the children, and seeing those relationships lead to eternal decisions…just a week ago one child came to know Jesus through our efforts.  I’ve seen that outreach through love works!  Paul was right, “Love never fails!”

We have a message…a hope…a LOVE that the world needs to hear!  Jesus told us that we are the light of the world and are to shine our light so that others “may see [our] good works and give glory to the Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).  Shine your light for Him by building relationships with others through love.  Show them you care.  Show them they’re special.  Show them they’re valued not only by you but by Jesus too.  Love through action.