takes the initiative…

we are looking in the the 2^nd chapter of james about what real faith is.  real faith is not just something you say. real faith is not just something you feel.  it’s more than emotions.

a lot of people confuse emotions and sentiments with faith.  you can be emotionally moved and never act on it.  you can go to church and get a quiver in your liver, goose bumps but it never makes any difference.

james gives here an illustration.  james 2.15& 16 (niv), suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  if one of you says to him, “go, i wish you well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

there was this peanuts cartoon.  charlie brown and linus are inside all bundled up and snoopy is out in the cold shivering in front of his dog food bowl.  and charlie and linus are having a discussion on how sad it is that snoopy is hungry and cold.  “he’s cold and hungry.  we ought to do something about it.”  so they walk outside and say to snoopy, “be of good cheer, snoopy.”

do you know where charles schultz got that idea?  from this verse.  what good is it if you see someone in need and you say, “i feel for you!”  he is saying it’s more than words.  it’s more than just feelings.

let’s say on sunday after church, i walk outside and you’re getting in your car and you happen to slam eight fingers in your car door and you’re standing there in agony with blood on your fingers.  if i walk up and say, “i feel for you!”  is that any help?

real faith is more than just sympathy and feeling emotions.  you give assistance.  you do something about it.  you act on it.  real faith takes the initiative.  a real believer has real faith and it’s practical.  it gets involved with people. 

now he’s talking about CHRISTians here. (this is the only time in scripture that CHRISTian women are called sisters.)  when you become a part of GOD’s family you have some family responsibilities.  a real believer will care about other believers. 

just a thought from the front porch…

it is your business…

is there anybody you’ve given permission to get in your face and say, “this needs to be corrected.”  if not, i pity you.  you’re never going to grow very much if you don’t have anybody who loves you enough to tell you the truth. 

galatians 6.1-2 (ncv) says this, brothers and sisters, if somebody in your group [and this, by the way, is a great verse for small groups] does something wrong go to that person and gently help make him right again. 

notice in this verse it says, go to that person.  that means you take the initiative.  if you see something wrong in a friend, loved one, relative, fellow CHRISTian’s life you take the initiative and go to him. 

why don’t we do that?  because we believe a lie that’s out of the pit of hell.  it’s none of my business.  it is your business!  if you care, if you love, it is your business.  if you’re a CHRISTian and that person is a CHRISTian it just became your business.  because the bible says we’re all in the same family.  the bible says we’re connected.  the bible says we belong to each other.  the bible says we’re going to spend eternity together.  we’re brothers and sisters.  i have a right to get in your face and you have a right to get in my face for the good and love of the relationship.  it is your business!

when you say, “it’s none of my business,” there’s a word for that – apathy and a lack of love.  it is your business.  yet i have seen so many CHRISTians in families, churches and small groups.  they see somebody who’s heading down a wrong path, they’re getting involved in an affair, they’re getting involved in a stupid business decision, they’re ruining their life on drugs or some foolish choice and people stand by and watch them do it and let them do it and say, “it’s none of my business.”  that is unloving.  somebody’s got to care enough and love them enough to say, “don’t do this!  you’re making a major mistake with your life.” 

just a thought from the front porch…

i can’t be perfect so why try?...

galatians 5.1 (niv), it is for freedom CHRIST has set us free. stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.

what is paul talking about when he says, don't be burdened by the yoke of slavery? he is talking about the number one emotional hang up that people experience today. it is one of satan's greatest psychological weapon. it causes more misery, more heartache, more depression than anything else. many of you are dealing with it this right now.

paul didn't use this word, but what he was talking about was the paralysis of perfectionism – trying to maintain the approval of GOD or the approval of others or the approval of self by maintaining a perfect performance. it's a subtle trap and all of us tend to fall into it.

GOD warns: don't get involved in perfectionism. HE says it's a damage to our life because sooner or later we realize we're not perfect and then we have to start wearing masks and pretending we're perfect when we're not. we know we're not inside.

why does HE demand that we avoid perfection? why does HE demand that we let go of this burden? why does HE want us to be free in CHRIST?

for one, perfectionism damages your initiative. it destroys it.

when you think you've got to be perfect in everything, you never get started. it kind of kills your enthusiasm. it's kind of the philosophy of “if i can't be the best, then i won't even try.”

how many of you in college or high school did not go out for a sport because you thought, “i won't make it on the first string, so why try.”? how many of you have ever said, “if the project is not going to be perfect, i don't even want to be a part of it”?

perfection paralyzes your initiative. it keeps you from getting started. it is the fear of failures. you never accomplish anything because you're afraid you may fail, it might not turn out perfect so as a result, you never get anything done. it paralyzes our potential. we set such high standards for ourselves that when anything comes along we think, if i can't do my best, i won't do anything.

just a thought from the front porch…