What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, ‘Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well’ – but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? You see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. – James 2: 14-17

“Faith without works is dead.” For the longest time, I seriously did not understand what was meant by “works” in this Scripture.

I’ve heard some interpret it as faith without corresponding action is useless.

And then others have taught me that the works simply refer to good deeds.

But meditating on James 2: 14-17 is like winding a jack-in-the-box. Once we’ve cranked the handle a few times in our minds, the depth of its meaning will jump out at us.

If we have faith that God can heal us, prosper us, and deliver on His promises, that’s wonderful.

Jesus said that if we ask anything in His name believing, we will get it.

And He stressed the importance of faith repeatedly.

But if our faith does not produce within us the love of Christ that propels us to demonstrate genuine compassion, generosity, and thoughtfulness toward others, our faith is operating outside of God’s will.

The first and second greatest commandments have nothing to do with faith and everything to do with love.

So if we’re believing God for a miracle, but we’re not aiming to be someone else’s miracle, God is probably going to give us a serious side-eye.

If we pray for someone to find help when we’re right in front of them and are in a position to help them, it’s evidence that we’re out of sync with the Spirit of Christ.

So being faithful is good. But it should never supersede love. Because if it does, it’s useless.

Be blessed,

Alexia

Prayer: God, help me to always prioritize love over faith. Help me to understand that love is a verb and not a noun. When someone around me is in need, place within me the heart to truly help them. Remove the blinders from my eyes so I can see where I’ve fallen short and do better. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.