A Simple Faith Action: Control Yourself

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. – James 2:14-17

My wife and I attended a visitation for our departed neighbor this weekend.  She was, at least as far as neighbors go, kind, thoughtful and friendly.  In the brochure at the visitation the following quote credited to the Dalai Lama was written, “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.  And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”  I found it interesting because I had never read it before, but had arrived at that wisdom in some of my most troubling times.  While struggling along in my most selfish times, it occurred to me that there shouldn’t be people whose lives are worse because I was born, if I have the ability to not make it that way.  Jesus said we are to love others, just as He has loved us (Jn 13:34).  If you are loving someone, truly loving them, you WILL put their needs ahead of yours.  In so doing you will help them and not hurt them.

James is clearly stating that there should be actions associated with Christians who claim to have faith.  He has a “for example” and refers to the poor.  That is a good example.  But, because we have slid so far from the simple and plain in our society I think it’d be a good idea if Christians focused on simply controlling their own actions to NOT hurt others and actually demonstrate they believe what they claim to believe.

Here a few "for examples" that I've witnessed.

How do Christians enter into business agreements and not honor them?  How does this action reflect upon the God they say they believe?  I’ve sat in the same church service with “Christians” who owed me over $20k for services performed in accordance with a written contract, and they purposely did not have a single intention of paying it.  How can that be?

How do Christians hurt others so purposely in relationships?  One of our friends is a divorce lawyer and the descriptions he gives of what Christians do to one another is alarming.  I’m not even talking about getting the divorce to start with, that’s a topic unto itself, but how can Christians who proclaim to have faith in God and be following Jesus be so purposely hurtful towards another person?  It certainly isn’t love no matter how they spin it or justify their actions.  A heard a pastor say in a sermon, “A person will do anything as wicked as hell itself to feed their own ego.”  When Christians become self-serving or believing they are self-deserving, they might be the most manipulative people on earth.  This is the most damaging and hurtful a person can be towards others.

How does a Christian have a Twitter and Instagram feed and never mention God or Jesus?  I do not understand how someone can claim to have God in their life, make Him first place, follow Jesus and not ever mention it to the world.  Yet I see it every single day.  Some have had these social platforms for many years and have never said a single word to praise God.  If I didn't know them outside of that social platform, I would have no clue they claimed to be a Christian.  Obviously they are ashamed or scared of the world.  Often they try to skirt the issue by saying “blessed”.  Yet, I see non-Christians say the same phrase.  At some point you have to either follow what you claim or just stop pretending.  Make a freaking decision.

There are many other examples, but these are just actions of controlling one’s personal behavior!  This doesn’t even involve actually sticking your hand out to help another person.  Societal Christians are so out of control that there needs to be a focus on just not hurting others and being willing to publicly declare that they believe in Jesus as the Son of the one true living God for salvation.  How can someone possibly perform an action to a faith to help others when their faith is so weak that they are unwilling to bridle their own actions?