Evidence of Love

                My husband is a very romantic man, but even if he were not, his love for me and our son is evident. He works hard every day to come home on time to spend his evenings with us. On the weekends, he rarely does anything on his own. Even when he washes his car we are invited to join him outside and spend time with him while he is cleaning it up. He often does dishes, laundry, and other cleaning to try to give me a break from the house chores. He says goodbye to our son every morning before work and says goodnight every night before bed.   What is more is that these are not things he thinks about before he does them, they come naturally to him out of his love for us. If he were to say that he loved me and then try his best to avoid me and never consider my feelings, then what is the point of love? I was considering this after reading further in James.

                James is a very bold writer who is not afraid to make his point. At the end of James 2, he is explaining the relationship between faith and works. He says it is not enough just to believe in God because even the demons believe He exists. If faith is really faith, then it cannot exist without works. Our good deeds do not make us deserving of eternity with God; only Christ’s sacrifice can do that for us. At the same time, it does not make sense to have faith without works. This would be the same as if I claimed to love my husband but I always complained about him and treated him with disrespect. You would probably think I was lying (and I would be). Similarly, James says that faith without works is dead.

                If someone else were to look at my life, would they see my faith through my actions? Do I act as if I really believe what I say I believe? Do my actions reveal that I love God or do I act like I do not think about Him or know He exists? What changes do I need to make in my heart to make my faith genuine?

                Dear Lord, help me to have genuine faith in You. Please help me to show You my love for You in every task I am presented with throughout the day. Please help me to live what I believe. Amen.