Deciding to Jump - For Faith

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (James 1:25)

A teacher once asked his student, "If there are three frogs sitting on a log, and one of them decides to jump off, how many frogs are still sitting on the log?" The student replied, "Well, obviously, only two remain." "Not so," answered the teacher, "all three are still sitting there. Making a decision is not the same thing as acting upon it."

Many times in the Christian life believers will feel convicted to follow a particular calling or enter into a new mode of ministry. Sometimes, their walk with Christ brings them to a point where a commitment must be made, to dedicate themselves more fully to some aspect of worship or study they had not previously focused on. The prospect of change is always a little scary, and many times, even though they feel that God is speaking to them, they are hesitant to step out. The fear of the unknown (or even the known) consequences of their decision can cause a kind of mental gridlock to occur, where they know what they ought to be doing, but are simply unable to actually follow through on it. Or, they do move forward, but then "life" kicks in, and distractions and interruptions hinder their progress. Either way, they may begin to feel unworthy or incapable of carrying out the task given to them; begin to second-guess their decisions; and out of shame or guilt, stop doing the very things the know they are supposed to be doing, which of course spirals into more shame and guilt.

In the verse above, the Apostle James exhorts believers that faithful action, leading from the Word of God, will lead to blessings. The entire epistle of James revolves around the idea that faith in Jesus will lead to works for Jesus. This is completely the opposite of what many religions teach, that we can "work" our way into heaven; instead, what the Holy Spirit is telling us through James is that God will "work" His way in us.

"If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." (John 13:17)

Jesus speaks these words after He washes the feet of the disciples. He is imparting the greatest truth of love: that serving others is the highest form of loving them. At the same time, these words are a call to action; merely knowing about love, without "doing" love, is a great waste of the most beautiful aspect of Jesus' presence in our hearts: the love of God for His children.

I pray that each of us who feels a particular call to action would have the faith to step out, and follow through on what God wants for us; that we can be open with each other about these decisions, so we may encourage and be encouraged by each other; and that the blessings of a faithful, gracious, and loving God would fall upon each of us when we answer His call. In Jesus Name, Amen.