Day 14: Commit an Act of Love
“But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” James 2:18-20, NKJV
Do you believe God loves you? Do you really, truly believe it?
There’s only one way to know for sure. Look at your life and see if you are acting on that love.
Something you genuinely believe, you’ll act on. For instance, if someone were to come into a crowded room and say, “The building is on fire!” everyone who believed it would immediately get out. Those who did not believe it would say things like, “I don’t smell any smoke. Do you smell any smoke?” They’d just sit there, waiting for their physical senses to tell them if what was said was true.
Now let’s add another element to this illustration. Let’s say the person who came in and said “The building is on fire!” was a fireman. Now with that added to it, it would really be foolish not to act on his word because he knows what he’s talking about.
That’s the position you and I are in today. God—who definitely knows what He is talking about—has said that He loves us. Most of us have mentally agreed. If someone asks us, we tell them, “Oh yes, I know God loves me.” But most of us haven’t done much about it. We’re still just sitting there, waiting for further evidence of that truth.
That evidence won’t come until we get up and do something! Why? Because just knowing God loves us isn’t enough. It’s acting on that knowledge that brings results!
“What should I do?” you ask.
First of all, open your mouth and say something. Start talking about how much God loves you. Instead of saying, “Gee, I hope this situation turns out all right,” say, “Praise God, I have confidence this situation is going to turn out all right, because my Father loves me and perfects that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8). Use every opportunity to confess your faith in God’s love for you.
Second, start acting on God’s WORD. When you read, for example, that as a believer you can lay hands on the sick and they’ll recover, don’t shrink back in fear. Don’t sit around wondering what will happen if you lay hands on someone and they don’t get well. Get up and get after it, believing God loves you enough to back you up. The minute you do that, God’s love will suddenly become more than a religious concept to you…it will become a reality. That’s when you’ll begin to see what the power of love can do.
LOVE ASSIGNMENT: Watch today for an opportunity to let your love take action! Do you see an unhappy face? Say a kind word. Do you see a body in pain? Ask if you may pray for the illness. Do you know of someone who is being abused? Let them know you care and pray for them. You can do it…Love can do it! And you are the child of Love!
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