How Far, Lord?

James reminds us in the second chapter of the book he has written, of Abraham’s faith that is validated by the distance that he was willing to travel in sacrificing his only son Isaac on an altar to the Lord. James says that Abraham’s spoken faith was not enough but that it must be confirmed in Abraham’s level of willingness to obey God in what He had been asked to do. James writes:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14-17

How far are we willing to travel in sacrificing the things of greatest value in our lives in order to meet the needs of others around us? Are we willing to give everything away in order to serve the needs of those around us? James says, “faith without works is dead.”

I don’t think that anyone can determine for you how far you must go in touching the lives of those around you. God can let you know what you must do. If you are doing nothing, God is waiting to point out some areas of need right around you that you can help with.

Prayer: Open my eyes to see those needs around me today and the grant me the courage to reach out and fill those needs as long as I am able. Amen