September 19, 2018

Don’t Play Favorites

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. – James 2:1

The air was filled with tension. Snippy comments broke the silence. One woman muttered obscenities under her breath. Another woman yelled. I shrunk into myself, trying to be as invisible as possible.

It all erupted later that day. Two women left for another workplace. Another woman was promoted to supervisor. Laughter filled the room.

The first supervisor was likely a good person. Her great sin? Playing favorites among the small staff. She created an environment where some always got the hard, sweaty jobs and her favorites always got the good jobs. There was no sharing of duties. There was no way to earn a better slot. And those who bore the weight of the hard work were tired of the situation.

None of us would have liked the situation either. No one wants to be used. It’s one thing to be a servant of Jesus. It’s something else to be treated unfairly.

But don’t we do the same thing sometimes? Don’t we assume others should be ready, willing and able to do whatever it is we need them to do, whenever we need them to do it? Sure, we do.

Consider my sweet friend who was able to be a stay at home mom. She talks about those who insist she’s got plenty of time to volunteer, to bake treats, to help out with their kids. Certainly, she does her part. She chairs a committee at church. She helps with the youth. But, as she explained one day, she didn’t choose to stay home so she could constantly do for others. She chose to spend that time with her children, to place her family first in this season of life. Others may get upset with her but I admire her determination to keep that time sacred.

A man I know has had a rough life, much of it because of poor choices. Several years ago he cleaned himself up and has really turned his life around. He’s quick to help anyone. He works whenever he has the opportunity. He volunteers at church. And, yet, there are those who still look down on him. They think more highly of those who are affluent than this man who has slowly rebuilt his life.

In this passage, James addresses that very thing. Don’t push aside the poor and give the rich the prime seats. Don’t think you’re better than someone else. Don’t look down on people who are different than you.

In other words, don’t play favorites. We will always have people in this life that we don’t really like. That’s okay. We aren’t called to like them. We are called to love them like Jesus loves them. We are called to be kind, gracious, good. Why is that so difficult for us?

Years ago a young receptionist at the company I worked for asked me why all my employees liked me when I was so mean to them. She was mortified that she’d voiced her thoughts. I just laughed. I explained that they liked me because I was fair. The written rules were applied evenly to everyone. Each employee had the opportunity to move up based on their efforts. And, I added, that’s really rare in the workplace.

It’s also really rare in life. We’re so busy trying to promote ourselves and those we like, that we miss an opportunity to reach out to someone else. We’re so focused on our own agenda that we miss the chance to learn and grow by knowing someone who maybe doesn’t see things exactly like we do.

We’re all in this life together. Let’s share it equally, with kindness and graciousness, surrounded by laughter. Life is hard enough without the extra burden of favoritism.

March 27, 2018

Do Others See Jesus in You?

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” – James 2:17-18

How many people do you know who are really just good people? You know the type I’m talking about. They always seem to lend a helping hand, to offer up a kind word, to give money to a good cause.

How many of those good people know Jesus as Lord and Savior? Have you ever tried to talk with one of them about salvation only to have them tell you – kindly, of course – that they’ll just take their chances?

It’s just so sad. Because no matter how much good you do in this life, you’re still a sinner. We all are. And the only way past that, the only ticket if you will to heaven, is through the blood of Jesus Christ. You can’t earn heaven. We aren’t worthy to go. But Jesus paid the price. It’s so simple, maybe too simple for some.

That said, the opposite is true as well. When we finally realize, deep inside, what Jesus did for us, we want to do good in His name. We want to glorify Him with our lives, flawed though those lives might be. We seek to do His work, to be His light, in this dark world.

You also probably know someone who professes faith in Jesus Christ. They’re probably good about attending Sunday services when it’s convenient. Maybe they even participate in a Sunday school class or other small group. Just don’t ever ask them to do anything else. They’re just too busy.

They don’t have time to reach out to their child’s friend who can’t participate in activities because he doesn’t have a ride. They can’t take a meal to someone who is homebound because they frequently have to work late. And certainly don’t expect them to volunteer on a weekend. When the weather’s good, you’ll find them at the beach or the lake. Priorities, you know.

There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of faith in their lives except for the words that come from their mouths. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Our church recently hired a young man to become the new youth director. He served at another church in that same position. He’s in seminary. He definitely feels called by God to serve Him.

This man is also engaged to a woman who grew up in our church. Her family, as you might imagine, is thrilled. Her mother commented that the whole family has had to really pay attention. How so? They watch their words, they are called to action, they are attending church more and finding excuses less. Why? Because this young man lives his faith and that influences all those who are living their lives beside him.

Do people want to live better lives, to serve Jesus more and more, because of what they see in your life? Why not? It takes all of us bonding together to serve and be His light. Do your part. Let others see Him in you.

February 9, 2018

Be Jesus To The Least Of Them

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. – James 2:10

He is a good man. He loves Jesus. He volunteers with his church. He volunteers with a men’s ministry. Sometimes he helps friends and neighbors.

One might say he is overly ambitious in his love for the Lord. His service is spotty. He makes many promises but he only keeps some. He doesn’t mean to do that. It’s just that he makes too many commitments and fails to remember most of them.

His heart intends to do good. His actions say dishonest and undependable. I have found him to be wonderful in an emergency. He is present and good and helpful. Just don’t count on him during the long run. He won’t show up.

Another friend once ran a ministry. He was great at the speaking events. He was a hard worker during the fundraiser and a passionate advocate for checks to good causes. But when it came to changing a light bulb for an elderly church member, well, he couldn’t be bothered. He was awesome in the prominent, glorifying arena. But he didn’t care much for service that would never be noticed by anyone but the recipient.

I don’t mean to pick on the men of faith. Women can and are just as bad. They are careful to run meetings and write checks. Please don’t ask them to wash dishes or take food to someone who is poor. It just won’t happen. They’re just too busy.

They are us. It clearly violates Jesus’ teaching but we turn a blind eye to that. We may say it’s all about Him but, really, we want it to be all about us.

We are the do-gooders. We want to do good. We mean to do good. We just get so busy, so distracted, so focused on what looks good and feels good that we miss the poor, the elderly, the sick. Because helping isn’t about offering up a prayer or a check, no matter how wonderful those things are.

Being Jesus means showing up during the hard times. It means getting dirty when the situation calls for manual labor. It means buying groceries and doing the laundry and sitting with someone in a hospital so the family member can actually go outside for a break.

When the day is done, it isn’t the lofty promises that people remember. It isn’t the checks that they recall. What matters most is the gift of time. It is the helping hand that remembered to show up. It is the smile and hug that lifted a worn spirit. It is the gracious kindness of walking a worn path with someone who was tired, hurting, alone.

Don’t make promises you won’t keep. And don’t write a check and call yourself good. Show up. It matters. Be Jesus to the least of them on this earth. 

April 30, 2016

Check Your Motives

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. -- James 2:14-18

We all know that faith without works is dead. James said so and I believe it.

But what about faith with works done to earn favor and prestige? What about works done to build ourselves up rather than Jesus?

We tell ourselves we’re being charitable when we write that check. We want everyone to know that we’re “called” when we sign up to lead that committee. We tell people how hard we’ve worked to further that program.

It’s all about me, me, me, when it really should be about Jesus.

A sweet friend began a caregivers support group some time back. It was a great idea and an answer to my prayers. All of us, that core group of 4 or 5, were optimistic that it would soon grow as work spread. It hasn’t grown at all.

There are many reasons. The first is that caregivers rarely have an extra hour each week. Nor do caregivers feel they should need support. No one has time to publicize the group. And we’ve changed rooms and times again and again.

The other day this sweet friend said she might call a hiatus for the summer. What could I say? I know that she feels abandoned by the church, which has not supported her endeavor. And I know she is disappointed by the low turnout.

But when she started talking about money lost during the hour devoted to the group, well, I had to wonder about her motives. Did she start the group to add to her resume or to help others? Maybe that’s why it never seemed to work out.

I’m not faulting her. Really. I’m not. We’ve all started things, volunteered, created wonderful things, then watched as the joy fell aside. Our intentions were good but maybe our heart wasn’t on board.

It’s a good time to ask ourselves what our motives are? If we are meant to honor God in that way, He will open doors and opportunities beyond anything we could imagine. If that isn’t His calling on our lives, or if we’re doing it for our own glory, then we will falter every time.

February 24, 2016

Put Hands and Feet to Your Prayers

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. -- James 2:14-17

The cry was desperate. She was facing surgery and needed help. Her mother was headed to respite care but there was just so much need, so much panic. How could anyone not care?

Facebook is good for many things. It reconnects us to people we haven’t seen in years. And it points out needs we didn’t know existed. This woman was a high school classmate I literally haven’t seen since we graduated. But I will do what I can.

I don’t know her. I don’t know her life. But I understand her need and it goes way beyond prayers. Don’t get me wrong. I’m certainly not being negative about prayers. The prayers of others have carried me when I was too weak and distraught to make it through another moment. I am grateful for the prayer warriors in my life.

But sometimes we just need to take the gospel out and apply it to real life -- just like Jesus. Can you imagine Jesus telling someone in need, “I’m so sorry. I’ll pray for you.” , then walking away without helping? Jesus wouldn’t do that. He would help. As His people, we’re supposed to help as well.

Honestly, for most of us, what it one meal? Or one ride to the doctor’s office? We just don’t want to be bothered. We’re busy. I sure know about that. Time, as I frequently joke, is not my friend. I don’t have enough of it. Maybe I never will. But I will try to always make time to help someone in need.

What’s your excuse? Could you invite that elderly widow next door over for dinner? How about giving that single Mom a treat and take her child, along with yours, out for a movie and a meal? Invite your new coworker to lunch. Or, even better, to church. Greet newcomers to your church and ask questions. Listen. Invite them to a small group or to lunch after the service. Go the extra mile. People notice and they remember.

We were not called to believe and then live our selfish lives just like part of the world. We are called to be set apart. That means living in such a way that others see Jesus in us.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Show People Your Faith

So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good deeds is not faith at all -- it is dead and useless. -- James 2:17

This passage of Scripture confuses many people. Mostly it just offers them an excuse. You’ve probably heard it. “I’m a good person so I’ll get in to heaven.” Wrong answer. And deadly deceptive.

The Bible is clear: Accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior is the only way to eternal life with God. The Apostle Paul said we accept this gift through faith, not by works, so that no man may boast. So faith that comes from the heart and inhabits the soul will get us where we want to go -- heaven.

But what about works? What exactly is James saying if it isn’t that works and faith aren’t one and the same? What this half-brother of Jesus is saying is that if your faith doesn’t result in good works, then you really don’t have faith at all.

When you accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to reside within you. It changes you. It changes everyone. We are made new in Him. That change makes us want to do good things. It opens our hearts to care about people we don’t know, to share our worldly possessions and our time, to volunteer. If that change isn’t seen by others, James says that person’s faith is dead. It doesn’t exist.

It comes back to how others can tell a person is a Christian. It shouldn’t just be because the person says he is a Christian. It should be evident in how he lives his life. It should be seen in how he conducts business, how he treats his family and friends, and how he spends his time.

One man I know sometimes comes to church with his wife and children. He would tell you quick that he’s a Christian. Maybe he is. Only God knows our hearts. But his language and meanness in his office tells me otherwise. Christians just don’t treat people that way. It goes against everything we believe about loving others as ourselves and doing good to our enemies.

Faith brings forth good works. Faith causes a person to smile and offer a kind word. Faith reaches out to the homeless, the desperate, the sick. Faith speaks kindly to a rejected child, a lonely wife, a overburdened father. Faith collects clothes for the needy, gives food to the hungry, does chores for the elderly.

Jesus didn’t just minister to others with his words. He reached out to them with His actions. He touched them with his compassion. He accepted the outcasts as friends. We’d do well to look to Jesus for a role model as to what a Christian should do.

Don’t just tell people you’re a Christian with your words. Show them your faith by how you live your life.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Do Your Actions Reflect Jesus?

Yes indeed, it is good when you truly obey our Lord’s royal command found in the Scriptures: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you pay special attention to the rich, you are committing a sin, for you are guilty of breaking that law. -- James 2:8-9

Last week Republican forerunner Mitt Romney said he wasn’t worried about the poor. There are enough government programs to take care of them, he said. He’s concerned about the middle class. I am too. I also wondered why he was ignoring the working poor.

But I’m most concerned about the Christians who cheered him on. It’s as though we’ve gotten so accustomed to making excuses for not doing good, that we don’t understand how far we are from what God has clearly commanded.

I am a cynic. Let me just say that right from the start. I’ve observed many, many instances where those in unfortunate circumstances have taken advantage of the system, they’ve played sob stories to unsuspecting good people, and they’ve squandered opportunities again and again.

That said, the Bible doesn’t say anything about first qualifying the poor as being “worthy” before we help them. As Christians, we’re to do what we can. We’re to share our excess with those in need. Whether we think they deserve it or not isn’t even a factor for us. We’re to do what God tells us to do and trust God to handle the worthiness part.

Beth Moore made an observation in her study on the book of James. She said that we used to focus on race as the great divide. Most folks know better now. So we’ve moved on to social class. Someone with a lot of bling gets better treatment than someone who doesn’t have any bling.

It’s as though we truly believe that someone who has a lot of stuff is more worthy than someone who doesn’t. We don’t necessarily intend to do it. We try to be fair and equitable. But there are the people “like” us and there are those who aren’t. And we treat them differently.

Part of it is strictly a comfort zone thing. We feel comfortable with people who share the same interests and neighborhood with us. We’re not quite sure how to deal with someone who is mentally ill, someone who is jobless, someone who is sick, someone who is homeless.

One of the saddest things to watch is when a person of means suddenly has a financial downfall. It could be through a job loss or illness. It doesn’t matter. But all their “friends” don’t have time for them anymore. People avoid them. And then they know, they see, they understand what it feels like to be treated differently by those they once admired and viewed as equals.

Sometimes being a Christian, really doing what God says to do, is uncomfortable. Sometimes it causes us to reach out to people we’d rather not know and confront issues and prejudices we never knew existed. Like Jesus. He showed us what to do. So why don’t we?

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Watch What God Can Do

Dear brothers and sisters, what’s the use of saying you have faith if you don’t prove it by your actions? That kind of faith can’t save anyone. -- James 2:14

A young woman in our church recently started a clothes closet for those in need. It was something she felt God leading her to do. There’s been no big fanfare. No loud praises for her actions. Just one simple step forward as she lives her faith.

Not surprisingly, a short time later my cousin forwarded the story of the 57 cent church to me. I’ve read it before but it just seemed so fitting at this moment in time. It forever amazes me how God can use the least among us to change the world around us.

Have you heard the story? A little girl cried because there was no room for her in Sunday School. The kindly pastor noticed her, saw her shabby attire, and lead her to a class. Two years later the little girl died. Her family found 57 cents in a worn red purse and a note that asked it be used to enlarge the church so it would have room for every child who wanted to attend.

The pastor called on the deacons to take action. A land owner donated property. A reporter found out and wrote a story. Donations came in from everywhere. Within five years, that 57 cent donation had turned into $250,000. That was a considerable sum of money for the turn of the century.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Temple Baptist Church in Philadelphia. It seats 3,300. It has a huge Sunday School building, with plenty of room for hundreds of children. And then there’s Temple University, which offers a wonderful education for thousands of students. Oh, and we can’t forget Good Samaritan Hospital.

It’s difficult to imagine that it all started with a 57 cent donation from a little girl who only wanted to attend Sunday school. But she believed that she could help, could make a difference, could change her world. And she did.

What has God called you to do? Are you holding back, certain that your little bit couldn’t possibly matter to anyone? Are you afraid to step out in faith because you’re certain you don’t have what it takes to make a change?

Take a minute and remember the little girl and 57 cents. Think about Jesus feeding thousands with a loaf of bread and two fish. God can take anything and multiply it beyond our wildest dreams. What are you waiting for? Take one step forward and then another. Then watch what God can do.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Believer or Pretender?

Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” I say, “I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.” -- James 2:18

This is the season that tends to separate the believers from those who claim to be. No. It’s not about who shows up for church. It’s not even about the big check, though that’s nice. It’s about what you do and say. It’s about your attitude and your priorities.

I’ve had the opportunity to see many believers in action these last few weeks. Some people stepped up to choose an angel and purchase gifts for that child. Others are helping with the Santa for Seniors program, purchasing basic items for those in need. We’re sharing our baked goods, bringing canned foods for local food banks and donating turkeys to local charities. We can be a really giving bunch.

But what about our attitudes? As believers, we should always seek to see others through the eyes of Jesus. But do we? Honestly, sometimes it’s hard. We want to smile and be pleasant and kind. We bite our tongues. We quickly say silent prayers. We stand in line and we struggle for a patience we do not feel.

Sometimes you find kindness and smiles where you don’t expect it. And sometimes you find an attitude and a frown where you don’t expect it either. Recently, I went into a Christian store in a neighboring town. They called out a welcome when customers walk in, but that’s where the welcome ended. I understand the stress of the holiday season. I do. But a smile improves everyone’s mood, including the person having to force it on themselves.

Another store had a totally different attitude. Things were so backed up that the clothing store manager was working a cash register too. The line was long and it would be easy to get crabby. But, really, impossible too. The employees were laughing as they worked. Conversation was flowing. Somehow the wait didn’t seem so bad because the employees’ attitudes were festive and light.

　

What if you are the only Christian someone will ever meet? What if you are God’s shining example of who a believer is? What will others see? Will they see a person claiming faith but being a scrooge when it comes to giving? Will they see a person grumbling and complaining as they face life’s challenges?

Anybody can proclaim faith in Jesus. But it takes a true believer to live out that faith. Which are you: a believer or someone who only pretends?