Advisers and Action, Part 2

"Where there is no guidance, a nation falls, but with many advisers victory is won." Proverbs 11:14

Today I continue yesterday's thought concerning the challenge associated with asking for advice and following through with action. I ended yesterday saying that asking for advice is only the first step in moving forward. A much more difficult step is actually taking a step!

Looking at the Proverb above it is obvious that the king of a nation must act to address the enemies looking to take the nation. No wise king would seek the counsel of his advisers and say, "Hey, that is great advice! Thanks for giving me that advice about preventing our enemy from destroying us!" and then do nothing. Yet, how quick I am to ask my friends for advice and put off any decision because it is a hard decision!

Regarding my office, one day I went to the library in Conroe with Tanya and the kids. While they ran with excitement to pick their own books, I went upstairs on a quest of my own. I left with a book called, Order From Chaos by Liz Davenport. Going through that book helped me begin to take another step I needed to get organized.

Interestingly enough, as I completely gutted my office to create some space to organize I found Adonna's written plan I mentioned yesterday. Reading through Adonna's plan again, I was amazed at how similar they were.

It baffles me why I never saw her advice and acted on it back in 2008! All I know is that now, I'm ready to act on the advice. The difference is found in me. I am ready to make a plan and follow through with it. What advice have you already received that you are needing to act on?

I've found that good intentions are only that...good intentions!

I also hear James 2:14-19 humming a little ditty in the background:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that...and shudder.

Living Christians

This morning my devotional reading led me to consider how Christians live. Does it matter how I live as a Christian? Those who say no might run to the offers of salvation by grace alone. Those who say yes might run to James' faith without works argument. Sometimes this question comes up in discussions about salvation; does the way I live affect my salvation? I want to shift the focus away from this toward living everyday life.

Does it matter how I live as a Christian? Well, what do you believe about God? Does he want some ceremony or a momentous intellectual ascent to appease him to let you into heaven? Does he need you bombarding him with praises and adoration to help out his lack of self-confidence? Or is he interested in a relationship with you? Is he wanting to transform your life here on earth?

If God is interested in a relationship with me, it follows that I can hurt or strain the relationship with my own actions, even with my own thoughts. God has provided the way through Jesus to enter into relationship with him. As my relationship grows with God, I will look more and more like Jesus in my life. My will is transformed to strive for his perfection. I will be able to find true life in this world; my life will have purpose; all my desires will be to nourish my relationship with God.

It does matter how I live as a Christian.