Humble yourself, resist the devil, come close to God, wash your hands, purify your hearts – all of these statements are actions. They are things we must do. The Apostle James tells us that we must act. We must choose to act, strive forward, and move toward Christ. Our loyalty is divided James says, do we choose the world or ourselves. Can we claim like Joshua, that as for me and my house we will serve the Lord?
I guess the follow up question is, what does that choice look like for you and me? Where in your life are you choosing yourself, your own needs, desires, pride, over that of Christ's will? I think it's different for each of us. And I mean in the big things – the character issues. I bet we all would say we should read our Bibles more, pray more, but where do we need to choose Jesus in how we talk, or what we do with our time, or how we treat those closest to us or those that sometimes drive us crazy? Are we choosing to be the city on the hill to the world, or are we choosing what makes us comfortable or feel better about ourselves? Are we being true disciples? Are we standing up when Jesus says go, and allowing God to stretch us for our full potential?
There is a young woman named Katie Davis who is a modern day example of one who chose to no longer be divided, but whole-heartedly follow Jesus. She is about 27 years old. When she was 18 she went on a short-term mission trip to Uganda from Tennessee. "She was immediately captivated with the people and the culture". The next year she went back to teach kindergarten at an orphanage. She was a single teenager who chose Jesus. "As she walked the children home, she was shocked to see the sheer number of school-aged children walking along the road, playing with their friends, washing their families' dishes or digging in the fields. She learned that most schools in Uganda require school fees for attendance." She started a sponsorship program that now helps 700 children. She saw the poverty and the deaths of children to malnutrition and starvation and started the Masese Feeding Outreach which provides meals to 1200 children Monday through Friday. She started the self-sustaining vocational program to empower women to generate an income, and throughout this time became a mother to thirteen orphan girls who now have a family.
Katie once said, "People tell me I am brave. People tell me I am strong. People tell me good job. Well here is the truth of it. I am really not that brave, I am not really that strong, and I am not doing anything spectacular. I am just doing what God called me to do as a follower of Him. Feed His sheep, do unto the least of His people."
(Information and image provided by https://amazima.org/about-us/katies-story)
Maybe she isn't that brave, or strong or spectacular, but she chose on that day at 18, and every day since then, to serve the Lord and to view her life as clay molded by the Master Potter - a living instrument for the will of God. And thousands are changed because of it.
Let us live lives of action, undivided, and focused on the One who holds us close.
--Rev. Michelle
