I Believe

“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?”-James 2:14-

Anyone who works out at a gym several times a week will have noticed the “gym rats” — the ones who always seem to be there. You can typically spot them walking aimlessly around the weight room and staring at themselves in the mirror. But I’ve noticed something about these guys. They tend to have huge, well-developed upper bodies and puny little legs. This is because they spend hours working on their chests, biceps, and triceps but for the most part, they ignore their calves and thighs. They look like they’re completely out of balance, like they might tip over on uneven terrain. It’s what I call (not to their faces, of course) the “Pee-Wee Schwarzenegger” effect. They have a Schwarzenegger upper body and a Pee-Wee lower body.
Some churches (and Christians) have this same unbalanced approach when it comes to discipleship. We spend too much of our time and effort bringing people to a point of belief without clearly helping them to follow. Too often, we have written BELIEVE in big, bold capital letters. And then everything that has to do with living for Jesus and being a disciple has been put in small print: follow.
As a result, many people have made a very real decision to believe in Jesus, but they have never made a commitment to follow Him. They don’t know how to engage in a daily pursuit of Christ. They give a puzzled look when you describe “missional living” or “walking as Jesus walked.” Unless somebody tells them, they may never know that Christian belief is more than just accepting something as fact in your mind or raising your hand and repeating the right words during an altar call.
Jesus’ own brother, James, discussed this balance in his book in the New Testament. He asks the question above — “What good is it?” — and the answer seems obvious: It’s not much good at all! But in case you didn’t come to the same conclusion, he states it even more clearly: “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:17). Believing Jesus implies movement and action.
Of course, biblical belief is the acceptance of something as real and true. But it is so much more than that. Beyond intellectual assent and heartfelt acknowledgement comes the decision to follow, and that will change the way you live the rest of your life.

Pursuing Today
How has your belief in Jesus manifested itself in your pursuit of Him? In other words, what are you doing that demonstrates your belief? You can’t follow and stay where you are at the same time. Our beliefs are validated by our actions. Read the rest of James 2:14-26. Prayerfully look for opportunities today to put your belief into action.