This little phrase ‘Faith = Action’ is quite simply where the rubber hits the road, it’s the ultimate “put your money where your mouth is” statement, it’s the definitive demonstration of actions speaking louder than words.
Our faith in action is evidence of our faith.
The best illustration of this that I have heard is the famous story of Charles Blondin, the greatest tightrope walker of all time. On many occasions he crossed back and forth over Niagara Falls, blindfolded, on stilts, in a sack, on a bicycle and even cooking an omelette and stopping halfway to eat it.
On July 15th 1859 he crossed with a wheel barrow, the crowd were ecstatic, shouting and cheering. He had proven that he could do it; of that, there was no doubt. But now he was asking for a volunteer to get into the wheelbarrow and take a ride across the Falls with him!
It is said that he asked his audience, “Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?” Of course, the crowd shouted that yes, they believed! Blondin then posed the question “so who will get in the wheelbarrow?” No one did.
Later Blondin’s manager Harry Colcord went across strapped to his back.
What a remarkable picture of faith in action.
Would you have got in the wheelbarrow or been strapped to his back? To do that involved placing your life into the hands of another, to place complete faith and trust in the one who had proven they could do it!
Over the last few weeks, we have been looking at many aspects of faith, all of them important, but for me this is the crux of the matter. Are we prepared to give ourselves completely to Jesus? To get in the wheelbarrow and let him take full control, to be one with him?
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?
… 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 2:14 & 17-18 – NIV
Someone once said, “Don’t just tell me you love me – show me”. The same is true of faith, don’t just say you have it – show it! Live it out, let your actions, deeds, behaviour, work, demonstrate your faith, let it be an example that your relationship with Jesus is real and true.
James strongly puts his point across that faith without action is dead! If we are not living it out, demonstrating it’s alive then we might as well hold the funeral now. Faith needs to be LIVING not a corpse. A faith that works is a faith that works!!
So, I encourage you this day, this week, in fact for eternity, to get in the wheelbarrow. To put our faith into action, because when we do it’s an incredible adventure.
May this FAITH grow and infiltrate into every area and detail of your LIFE.
– Mark.
