Have you ever said or done something you knew wasn't right and thought, "I won't do that next time", but when that next time comes, you don't make any sort of effort to do the right thing? I know I struggle with this because I have a tendancy to forget, but I don't do anything to remember at times.
In James 2:14-17 it says, "14What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,' but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (NKJV) So, we can say all day long, "I'm going to change" or "I'm sorry", but if we don't do anything about it, it doesn't do any good.
Same with our faith. We can profess to be Christians and put on a good face for people, but if we turn around and act just like everyone else... what good is our faith? If we are professed Christians we need to just not profess it, but ACT like it.
It can be so easy to act like our peers at school (or wherever) who are not Christians or following God's way. But we need to step into our role as Christians and become a city on a hill (Matthew 5:14 says, "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.")
We are to shine God's light in a world of darkness...not blend in. This can be so hard and sometimes we don't know what the right thing to do so, we need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit within us and be in God's Word every day (next week we will talk about quiet times with God and how important it is).
So, next time you hear your friends backstabbing someone, politely say, "You know, I don't think that's very nice and you don't need to say that." And if they keep it up, walk away. It's the best thing you can do because you can't change them and you're not going to gain anything from listening to their gossip (this goes for just about any situation).
Just remember that we are to shine God's light and people should tell that there is something different about us when they meet us because we have a light that cannot be hidden!
Challenge!
This week when you're confronted with a decision that you can either choose to give in to your fleshly desires or follow what God teaches, try to hear what the Holy Spirit is telling you to do. The more you listen, the better you'll hear Him.
Prayer
-that we would not fall into the temptations of the world, but show our faith by following Christ's Word
