“Be
doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.”
This statement from the Letter of James defines our faith
in action. We cannot experience a full relationship with Jesus Christ unless we
let his presence affect our actions and decision-making daily. Our outward
expressions must be a reflection of our inward spirituality. Through this we
become the presence of Christ to those whom we interact with on a daily basis.
Reacting to Jesus Christ will always bring about positive results and it is our
Christian duty to insure that this state of being is spread throughout the
world. Each of us, as representatives of the Christian Way, need to direct all
of our actions and decisions around the influence that Jesus has in our lives.
We must react to this presence and allow Jesus to do his work without any
negative influence from ourselves. This may make us uncomfortable at times but
that is when we must challenge ourselves to trust Jesus all the more.
Society teaches us to be selfish, thinking of
ourselves first and foremost while Christ wants us to be selfless. This is
where the spiritual battles lies: The War Between the Flesh and the Spirit. Do
we want our spirituality to transform us into something greater than we are or
do we want of physical existence to dictate our actions which will bring us to
desolation and despair? When we let our spirituality influence our physical
actions, our relationship with Jesus Christ becomes complete. We become unified
with Christ and there is no struggle for dominance. What comes forth are fruits
of our faith. The things that we do in reaction to this will always produce
positive and successful results. We need not worry about failure or tribulation
when we are doing things in the name of Jesus Christ.
Jesus tells us that the things that defile come from
within. This serves as a warning to us that we have the capability to do so
much good but, at the same time, we are the ones that can bring about the same
amount of evil and degradation into the world based upon what we say and do.
Every time we make a decision, even a small one, it brings us to a crossroad.
We are challenged to make a choice that will bring forth Fruits of the Spirit
or that will bring forth darkness and rot. We all possess great power and the
potential for greatness. The more we recognize this, the more we can do in the
Name of Jesus Christ.
Deacon Tom
No comments:
Post a Comment