James 2:18 – But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

 The youth at Grace Harvest are working through the book of James on Wednesday nights.  This past week I had the privilege of teaching James 2:14-26 and during my time of study I had a moment that really struck me.  This moment led to an illustration which led to a word-picture that I am still considering.

See earlier in the week, as I was letting the lesson marinate in my mind, my daughter started a short summer soccer camp with some friends.  It was a very hot day, just after a heavy rain, so the air was thick with humidity.  After a grueling, 45 minute practice, my daughter was asked to put her hand    on her head so that she could receive a small,       dime-sized smiling sticker on the top of her sweaty hand.  She proudly ran over to her mother and I, to show off her newly earn spoils, but just as soon as she arrived the sticker had been lost in the muddy sod.  Distraught my daughter began to get upset, only to have my wife offer a temporary baby shark tattoo when we got home in order to make her     reward more permanent.

This episode had me thinking about how without the sticker or baby shark skin insignia that my daughter, after a well-earned bath would no longer have any physical representation of her exertion.  Then it hit me, we cannot see the faith or trust that one has in Jesus either.  We cannot empirically see how much someone loves God without it being     accompanied by some type of proof or action.  Trust is something that is invisible, whose existence can only be proven by its’ effects.

Much like how the wind is colorless but you know   it’s there when you see the leaves dancing on the sidewalk.  We can tell people all we want that we love and trust Jesus, but if our actions never prove this love and trust then are we really sure it exists?    It is impossible to show someone your faith apart from you works, I believe James here is forcing all     of us to examine ourselves and truly evaluate how our actions between where our real trust and love lies.  We all we do is for the pleasure and delight of ourselves apart from the will of God, then our true allegiance is revealed.

How about you?  I would encourage each of us to take time this week and see who our actions tell us that we actually love and trust.  In the areas, where it is something other than God, I pray that we would have the courage to repent quickly and take the most necessary actions to trust and love of God.

Pastor Jamie Ezzell