Faith and works go hand-in-hand. In the Bible, we were told in the Letter by Saint James in James 2:18, to which he states, “Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.”
You see, it’s not enough to just have faith. We need to demonstrate that faith through the works that we do for His people. The works that we do can also help to increase our own faith in God even when it may seem like an impossible task. (Relate post: Why is it SO difficult to have faith, when we are faced with SO many things to fear?)
There are a lot of people on this earth who are lost and need to be found. Can we save all of them? No. However, we can try through showing them the love of God that they are missing. We can pray for them in the hopes that they may begin to see that the direction that they are heading is wrong and detrimental to their everlasting life. According to Revelations 22:12, which states, “Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense to each according to his deeds.” (Related post: The time for reckoning is now)
The mistake that I think that some Christians make is in how they approach people who aren’t believers. People, generally, don’t like to be yelled at and told that they are going to Hell. That is a surefire way to not get people to come to God. It’s not our place to judge them (which sure is difficult, to say the least), but that’s Gods job and I think that He’s pretty capable of handling it. If, instead, we can just use compassion and show care and concern to guide them toward God, then we have been doing something.
So, what would that actually look like? Sometimes, it’s just a kind comment or laugh with someone. It could be giving out food to a hungry person. It could be sharing of your time and money. It looks like a helping hand toward another person. It’s making a connection that may brighten someone else’s day. It’s whatever works for you but you need to remember that when people are lost from God, they don’t want to be scared into coming to Him. They need to see what God shows to each of us. After all, think about what made you want to become a Christian. We need to show God to others through our kindness and through giving a helping hand when we see that someone is in need. We need to listen to their journey through life with an open mind and compassion for what they have gone through. This is what God does. In fact, we have the very best role model in the way that Jesus taught his disciples. We should do no less for those around us who are lost and wandering.
So, what did I learn from this? In giving, I have been receiving as well. There’s a fullness in my heart that opens me up even more to God’s promises. I just have to be open to the opportunities that arise. Am I always successful? No, of course not, but that doesn’t keep me from trying! I have also found that I’ve gotten more successes than failures at this point. In doing God’s work, I have found that my faith in Him has gotten stronger.
What can you gain from this? Joy can be very contagious. If you’ve heard someone give a good strong laugh, then, you should know, that it’s very hard not to laugh or smile along with them. Just that, can start a lightening of your own mood and could help you on your own journey in life as well.
A Joyful Mission 