Today’s lesson was from James 2 reminding us that faith without action is dead faith. As I was preparing for the teaching I had to ask myself: ” What keeps me from acting on my faith”? When God calls me to do something I sometimes freeze. ” Is it God”? I ask (that is usually a cop out because I am chicken little and don’t want to do what I sense He is telling me). Or I might let fear keep me from stepping out in faith. Remember, the opposite of faith is fear and fear is faith in the wrong kingdom!
Mother Teresa’s Poem
I promised that I would post the poem that I read in class today. It was engraved on the wall of Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta. So here it is:
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self- centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight. Build anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today people will forget tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best anyway. You see in the final analysis, it is between you and God; it never was between you and them anyway.
So my dear friends give the world your best. You will never regret it.
Posted by Mary Stewart Carpenter on January 21, 2012 at 5:33 pm
Thinking a lot about that fear is faith in the wrong kingdom
Posted by joanneellison on January 22, 2012 at 2:55 pm
Me too!!
Posted by Dena on January 21, 2012 at 9:18 pm
AMEN! Timely message for what I am going through and asking God to help with now; beautiful!
Posted by Nan Welsh on January 22, 2012 at 3:07 pm
An absolutely beautiful poem and such good advice. I thank God for every challenge He puts before me. We all (including me) need to look and listen for His signals and direction. It is, after all, for God’s glory that we strive to do whatever we can, wherever, however. What a better place our earthly home would be if we all followed this precept in our lives. I feel I am being hand-carried by our Lord! Drawing Near to God has truly drawn me closer to God, as have all of you praying with and for me.