Wednesday, March 30, 2016

James 2:20-26

James 2:20-26
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 What if Usain Bolt never ran a race?  Would he still be the world's fastest man, even though he never demonstrated it to anyone?
  What if Noah never built the ark, or Paul never dedicated his life to spreading the Gospel?  Would we still speak of their faith, even though we never saw the deeds attached to it?
  What if Jesus hadn't performed miracles?  Would we know who he was?
  We learn of what is on the inside of people through their actions, just as we demonstrate who we are through our actions.  James has harsh words for faith that doesn't guide actions.  If I tell everyone I am a nice person but treat others poorly, we could debate how nice I really am.  In the same vein, if we proclaim to be a people of faith but live selfishly, others will debate our faith.
  The Prayer of Examen is a great way to pause at the end of the day and reflect on the day's events.  We look back and see how our faith is guiding us and we pray for God to forgive where we failed and to guide us into tomorrow.  It's a simple prayer, yet can help us live with intention, offering up our lives to God and praying for our faith to lead us.

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