As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. James 2:26
“If true Christians do perform good works, then stewarding resources to maximize one’s ability to perform acts of mercy takes center stage. It may well be true that it is impossible to be both rich and Christian unless one is generous in giving from one’s riches.”
Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam J. Kamell in James: Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) 254. One of my former students, Dave Rowland, recently shared a paper he wrote on James, and this was among the great quotes.
Contemplate this thought today: Am I stewarding God’s resources to maximize my ability to perform acts of mercy? Or consider it in these terms: Am I deploying myself and the resources in my stewardship to show God’s love to a broken world?
Jenni and I will have plenty of time to think about it on our 4 hour flight to Newark and 16 hour flight to Hong Kong where we will minister in a variety of ways through 25 April 2016. Christ be with us, go before us, be behind us, and be within us.
What’s center stage in your life? I am thankful for a wife and two grown children that join me in keeping God, His kingdom, and righteousness center stage in our lives. This leads us to deploy ourselves and put whatever resources we have to work to make Him known. We have found it’s the only way to live.