"Do It"

Hey, what are you doin’,

It’s just a form of speech,

Sorta like a greeting,

A personal outreach.

But most don’t want to know much,

They’re only saying hi,

You really cannot blame ‘em,

They live life on the fly.

And they are far too busy,

To hear what all you do,

And probably you feel the same,

About them, it is true.

But really more important,

Is that we learn to know,

What it is we’re doing,

And what we have to show,

For the seeds we’ve planted,

And the choices that we’ve made,

What we’ve learned to let go,

And what for us has stayed.

Old St. James had a question,

That’s one we all should ask,

Is our work temporary,

Or something that will last.

He said the Word’s for doing,

And not just what we hear,

But if we never do it,

God’s power won’t draw near.

It’s being double-minded,

To say that we believe,

And then not really practice,

What we say we receive.

And no, no one is perfect,

We fail most everyday,

But this is ‘bout direction,

And living God’s own way.

Faith without the action,

Is useless and it’s dead,

It’s really not the real thing,

That’s what old St. James said.

So hey, what are you doin’,

Is it only your own thing,

Or are you living out the Word,

Your best to always bring.

To the daily walk with Jesus,

And spread His love to all,

To do what God commanded,

By His grace walking tall.

The hearing and the doing,

Will make it clear you see,

To anybody looking,

The way we ought to be.

They say the greatest sermons,

Are not a churchy speech,

But those that are lived daily,

A personal outreach.

So listen up, my brother,

And sister, it’s for you,

It’s not just what we’re sayin’,

It’s also what we do.

“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?” (James 2:14, NLT)

“What you’re doing drowns out what you’re saying.” “They won’t care what you say till they see that you care.” “Actions speak louder than words.” “The best sermons are lived, not spoken.” “Share the Gospel. Use words if necessary.” We are familiar with such quotes, and all of them are rooted in what James said about the relationship between faith and works. Put simply, authentic faith always produces a lifestyle of righteous action, no exceptions. If our faith is real, it will manifest itself in godly and loving behavior. Is there anyone who always gets this right? No. The holiest people I know show a gap between what they say and what they do, between their aspirations and actual experience. We all do. That said, what is our intention? What is our direction? Are we working on it or letting it slide? That, I think, is how we should be thinking about it. Also, never think that speaking up is unnecessary. In fact, verbalizing our faith goes hand in hand with acts of service. It’s never either/or but always both/and. Faith it. Speak it. Work it.

Lord, empower us to live out our faith boldly and compassionately, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bill Anton, billantonstudios.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bill, and God bless you.