09 Oct Your Faith + Your Works
Let me ask you something.
Are you getting in the way of what God is doing by trying to make something happen versus putting it in His hands?
Would you know if you did?
Honestly, sometimes I don’t.
There is a verse in James that I am sure that you have heard many times that says, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
I’m sure you heard it stated more simply, like, “faith without works is dead.”
Almost everyone I know (including myself) has used or misused this verse to justify natural busyness, anxiety, tendencies to overwork, or a decision to work hard towards a goal that may not be God-ordained.
I think the part that trips us up is the ‘works’ part. We all assume that if we are working towards something, then we are in faith. That’s not true.
So, let us break this down and be sure to pay careful attention to the wording. James 2:17 (KJV) says:
“Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”
It is important to note that the formula here is where there is faith, but there is no work, then there is death, which is alone and ultimately the separation from God.
(FAITH – WORKS) = DEATH
If you change the exact equation, the reverse is also true; works without faith is void. It equals death and nothingness.
(WORKS – FAITH) = DEATH
Often, we find ourselves busy, but we are busy because we are out of faith.
Read that again.
We are not working in expectation. God has not given us a vision; we are just working because we believe that I will get to a certain point if I do this and listen to that person. Or maybe, you feel like you need to be busy or always need to be doing something,
If you have never been this person, I am sure you know this person. They may have said something like, “I haven’t heard a word from God, yet; I’m just working because I feel like I need to be moving toward something.”
In this season, especially, we need to seek God’s face. When we seek something, we crave after it. Right now, we need to be seeking His Word, prayer, and worship.
Matthew 6:31-33, says, “Therefore, do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
When you hear a word from God, women of Judah, let that word give you an expectation. Then connect your expectation to your faith, and now connect all of your works to it, and go all out for it!
When this happens, it will be a concrete manifestation of Deuteronomy 28:12:
“The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow. I’ll bless the labor of your hands.”
But we must be careful; this verse does not discuss optional labor and selfish ambition; it refers to the work of your purpose, your anointing, and His ordained sanctioned labor.
Many of us like to be super spiritual and quote scripture, especially verses like “faith without works is dead.” We want to feel like we are working towards something always, but we need to remember to work on and in God’s work, and not on our versions of God’s plan for our lives.
PRAY
Lord, my hands naturally default to busyness, Remove the spirit of anxiousness and lack from my heart so that I can rest in your purpose and timing. Align the work of my hands with Your heart and plans for my life. Amen
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