James 2:14-17 – “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.”

As I’m sitting under the weight of God’s word above in James, I’m convicted of the many ways and times in which I have stopped at words, rather than being the hands and feet of God as an overflow of faith.  So if today’s message convicts you, and God uses it to move your heart closer to His, that is a good thing, and you have a great deal of company with you.

Some people have said if you want to know what someone truly believes look at their actions not their words.  I would say in our current society, we could better say, if you want to know what someone truly believes, look at how they spend their money.  A credit card bill/bank statement, can tell you a lot about what you value in life.

Christians often hear of problems in others’ lives, and in the city they belong to, and “pray about it”.  Prayer is a good thing, but often we are meant to be God’s answer to prayer, and we are not because we do not have the faith to enter into His plans.  If a brother or sister in Christ comes to you with a need that you have the financial means to meet, what is holding you back?  You belong to a church that staffs pastors who serve you and your community with the gospel – do you support your own church financially?  Who are the weak, marginalized persons, the orphans and the widows among you?  Are they cared for by you?

We are the redeemed, the chosen of God through Jesus, to be ministers of reconciliation.  Our God is making all things new, and we are called to bring His Kingdom into the world as light among darkness.  This is not of us, but God in us, working through us by faith.  Nothing that we treasure today will endure 1,000 years from now, but every act of faith will bear fruit into eternity, both in strengthening our own faith and the faith of those around us.

This message is not about money.  Money is only a barometer of your heart.  God desires your heart to be fully His, for your joy to be rooted in Him, and for your joy to be full.  His desire is for you to stop giving yourself to things that will never satisfy you, and instead give your heart to Him, and find rest in Him.  My hope for my own heart and for all of you, everyone I care about, is that we would find in God all that we desire, and thereby be free to give up all that we have not out of duty, but delight in knowing that we have a greater treasure in Heaven.  The call is not to be a monk and give away all your material possessions, but to put your heart in line with Gods and move beyond words into actions as God gives you opportunity.  Ask God to give you a heart that would move beyond words and prayers to action as He leads.  Ask Him for boldness to move beyond comfort in possessions and find rest in Him.  He loves us, and desires our hearts to be happy in Him.

For your joy,

Adam