James 2.

2:1 "...How can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others?"

So many times in society today we are so quick to judge by looks - which is exactly the opposite of what we as Christians should be doing. Just because someone comes into church "dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry" (vs. 2) doesn't mean that people should go out of their way to accommodate them. Think about it, would you honestly treat a person who walked in wearing tattered clothing the same way? God is so good. When we step into His presence He's not looking at what we're wearing, He's looking at our hearts. There's a song I really like called "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath, and it talks about asking God to allow us to see things the way he does. To truly look at people and see them the way God does - and newsflash! God isn't looking at your great new shoes or hair cut when you go to worship! But when we encounter people daily we shouldn't be fawning over one person because they look important - that is not by any means how Christ approached people.

"Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?" James 2:5

Though most of the time I do not see it as a blessing, or being chosen by God - being poor does mean being rich in faith. So many times in my life my family has had no clue how we were going to make it. In fact right now is probably one of the worst of those times. Rich in faith? You have to be. When you are literally fully depending on God to supply your needs it takes faith. And that is definitely something my family is learning. Honestly, right now I have no clue what I'll be eating next week. But you know what? I serve a God who is greater than any worldly/physical thing. My God is by no means limited by what I see, because he sees the greater picture. I don't need to worry, which is so easy to say but honestly living it isn't that rough. My faith in God has increased so much in these past months, and it wouldn't be if I wasn't going through what I am.
Then there's the promise of the Kingdom. Hallelujah! Something that popped out at me was "the poor in this world." I'm not sure if that gets you, but PTL, this world, my life, the time on this earth, is but a vapor! Who cares about our momentary discomfort?(Well, God does.) But I mean, once you look at the fourth quarter, with two minutes left on the clock, your behind by five points, on the 30 yard line, the fact that your QB is injured doesn't matter - you are going to finish that game. And my word, you're going to win! Even if you're tired, sweaty, and discouraged. In life we get so shook up by the physical problems that pop up, but man it's not going to put us down. We have eternity with Jesus. We have the promise of his Kingdom! Woah. I wish you could feel my excitement about that.

"...How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." James 2:18
"...His faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete." James 2:22
"Just as the body is dead without breath, so also is faith dead without good works." James 2:26

So you say that you are a Christian, big deal. I can say I'm a car all that I want, but goodness, when it comes down to it I have four limbs - not wheels. Actions speak louder than words, and most likely always will. If Jesus had come to earth and just sat and talked, sure some people would have listened, but not nearly as many people would have accepted the fact that he was Christ. With Christ as our example we cannot just sit around saying halfheartedly, "Jesus loves you. I'm a Christian." That's not going to fly. We have to be active in our faith! One of Jesus' first commands was to ... GO! So many people in the world have met "Christians" and truthfully, the association with that word is not the best any more. Which is why we really have to live out our faith. We have to stop staying in our comfort zone, we must go out and live to reflect God's glory.


Random verse that stuck out: "You say you have faith, for you believe there is one god. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and the tremble in terror." James 2:19