One of the tenets of Christianity is that belief in Jesus Christ, not works, secures our salvation. This comes as a big relief to me personally. Over my lifetime, the Oh, nos! have far outnumbered the Atta girls! If God were keeping score (which thank heavens He isn’t), I wouldn’t get a toe inside the Pearly Gates. I am all too happy to read Paul’s message in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith … not of works …,” and breathe a huge sigh of relief.
BUT … there are those other verses that let me know, I can’t just claim this promise and go happily on my way. For example, if you read further in the second chapter of Ephesians, verse 10 to be exact, you’ll find there’s a proper response to accepting this incomparable gift: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works…” And in James 2:17, the author essentially tells us faith without accompanying good deeds “is dead.”
My blog posts, while often having an inspirational message, aren’t usually quite this “preachy.” But an event this past weekend at my church inspired me to reflect on the relationship of faith and works. For the past three springs, New Covenant Methodist Church has organized an activity called Sent Out Saturday. Members devote a Saturday morning to helping with various needs around the community. Usually this involves performing a lot of manual labor—cleaning, repairing, painting, sprucing up—for organizations or persons incapable of getting it all done themselves.
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Just look at this impressive group!
And they're all smiling ... at eight in the
morning...on a Saturday! |
When this program began, around thirty people gathered to be “sent out.” This year, over ninety showed up to help! What a thrill to see this growth—to see so many give up a Saturday morning to help people they didn’t even know. And what thrilled me even more was that many of these volunteers were families with children of all ages. By example, moms and dads taught their toddlers to teens that if faith is genuine, it will reveal itself in love and concern for others.
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No, task was too big...and no worker too small! |
Okay, I’m just going to go with the preachy thing and make a suggestion. Even Christians can sometimes find themselves in the doldrums. I certainly do. If you find yourself in such a state, help someone. It doesn’t have to be in a big group or with a lot of fanfare. Just look around … in your family or at your workplace or in your neighborhood. A need, however small, will soon present itself. To steal an old milk slogan, helping others truly “does a body good.” And sharing the good news of Christ doesn’t get any more effective than this!
If you need proof that serving others can make you feel good, check out these smiles.
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How many volunteers does it take
to open a bucket of paint? |
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A pretty mother/daughter duo! |
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More teamwork! |
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Some jobs are best tackled alone. |
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There's always a need for good organizers! |
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Men and tools--an unstoppable combo. |
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Taking a little time out for fitness. |
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Sprucing up the Exodus House courtyard for spring. |
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Getting ready for the summer campers at Shiloh Camp. |
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And mulching at Shiloh. Volunteers also sent to
the homes of Meals on Wheels clients and helped
with cleaning and repair chores. |
Thank you for this, Dee Dee! The photos are wonderful, and your entire post brightened my day.
ReplyDeleteA need, however small, will soon present itself.
Thanks also for reminding me that action on behalf of others it a great way to beat the doldrums!
Thank you, Sonia, for the kind words. I know you do many “good works” for your friends and family as well.
DeleteAbsolutely love this post because it hits the heart of the message. Our satisfaction with this life comes from serving others! (If you're wondering what took me so long to respond, it's because I saved the post to read later...Today is later.) :-)
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