Working Out My Faith

I am an unashamed follower of Christ. I am certainly NOT perfect. I wish I could say that I don’t sin. I wish I could say I would not sin even today. I still have a lot of growing to do in my faith. I’m a bit farther along in the journey that even a year ago, but I still have a long way to grow.

I believe that my faith grows in small increments as I faithfully seek the Lord and seek to live out my faith wherever I am. I don’t think that my salvation is an event as much as it is a journey. I do remember the day I surrendered my life for the first time. Now it’s a process of surrender every day that I live.

Hezekiah was a good king and he led the people of Judah and Israel back to the Lord. He organized a Passover and worship experience that changed the culture. After coming to the Passover/worship celebration, the people went back to their towns and cleaned out the elements of idol worship. (2 Chronicles 31:1 NLT)

Hezekiah also organized the priests and Levites when it came to serving in the Temple and leading people in worship. He encouraged the people to bring in tithes to the Lord of their crops and livestock. The people brought more than enough and Hezekiah organized a way to distribute it to the priests who served out in the small towns. It was clear that Hezekiah was devoted to following the Lord. Check this out….

²⁰ In this way, King Hezekiah handled the distribution throughout all Judah, doing what was pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord his God. ²¹ In all that he did in the service of the Temple of God and in his efforts to follow God’s laws and commands, Hezekiah sought his God wholeheartedly. As a result, he was very successful. (2 Chronicles 31:20-21 NLT)

I love that last line. He didn’t seek God to become successful, but he became successful as a result of seeking God wholeheartedly. I think Hezekiah worked out His faith. He lived out what He believed and was in a position of leadership to inspire, encourage and motivate others to do the same.

I became a Christ-follower when I was in third grade. I have followed the Lord at some level ever since. There were a few years where my faith was on “auto-pilot” (meaning, I was going through the motions) and I wasn’t actively growing in my faith. I’m in a place now where I want to study the Word of God to hear from Him a personal message that will spur me to grow in my faith. I want Him to call me to work out my faith by serving and loving others.

James, the brother of Jesus wrote some powerful words about working out my faith. Check this out…

¹⁴ 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? ¹⁵ Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ 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?

¹⁷ So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

¹⁸ Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”

¹⁹ You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. ²⁰ How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? (James 2:14-20 NLT)

I want to my faith to be obvious by how I live, work and serve others.

Pressing On!

Dwayne