15
Faith Without Good Deeds Is Dead
Richard WaialealeJames 2:17 (NLT)
17 So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.
When I read this section of James, I am reminded of how much faith I have but do I follow it through with action, or am I an example of that dead person that James is talking about.
There’s something I always used to say to myself. I call it SODSAT, or “Someone Ought to Do Something About That.” Often God will place a feeling or an urgency in my heart, something that needs to get done, and often times we all get that same urgency or feeling. Yet we say to ourselves, “Somebody Ought to Do Something About That,” and nothing ever gets done. There’s no action. Faith without action is dead, it’s useless.
In 1997, I’m sitting down in Farrington High School auditorium listening to Pastor Wayne preach in a service when I hear him say, “Saving Lives and Winning Souls for Jesus.” I say to myself, “Wow, that’s nice! ‘Somebody Ought To Do Something About That.’” The following week I hear it again and for whatever reason, this time it hits me in my heart, now I say, I should do something about that. Then I say to myself, “Lord if You allow me to do this, I will do whatever You tell me. Over 17 years later, I’m being ordained as a minister by Foursquare Church. SODSAT, that person is me.
Whenever you get the SODSAT feeling, I truly believe God is placing something in you that Somebody Ought to Do Something About That, is me. My faith is only as good as the action that I apply it too. When I intentionally think about SODSAT, all of a sudden, it’s there all the time and I need to apply the action to my faith. I refuse to be dead, but choose to be alive in Jesus. I must do something about it.
Lord thank you for each day because You allow me to serve the world, to love and Jesus loves and to think and see as Jesus see. I pray that I take these feelings and urgencies into action and display my faith with the action steps - In Jesus Name I Pray. Amen.
