Eternal Souls Christian Blog and Commentary

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Are we in alignment?

Are we in alignment

Alignment with God

Thought- Alignment is key in all aspects of our life. We must constantly be asking do our words and our actions align?

Scripture– “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.” – James 2:14-17 

Insight: We can claim many things with our mouth, but the real proof is in our actions. Do we do what we say we believe in? In the Scripture above, James is imploring the readers to be sure that where our faith is concerned, that it is illustrated through our deeds and not just our words. His example in James 2:16 cuts to the core of what is required; while it is great to wish someone in need well, it is much better to actually intervene in their situation with actions of kindness and love that reflect the love of Christ. In this case, it is offering warm clothes and some food to someone who is in need. God never asks us to provide what we can’t give, but only what we can. We can’t do everything, or help everyone, but in many cases, we can do something. Sometimes a prayer or a word of encouragement is all we can offer and that is fine. Other times, we may be asked to intervene with real tangible items such as food and clothing.

Just like a car needs to be in alignment to drive the way you want it to, so also alignment in all areas of our life between our words and deeds is critical for success and impact. Someone can boldly proclaim that he will be the greatest QB of all time. But if he spends all his time on the couch, eating bon bons and popcorn and never working out, or trying to improve his skills, his chatter is meaningless. I have been taught many critical lessons throughout my life about alignment, or lack thereof, and making sure my heart is right before God prior to expecting Him to respond to any of my prayer requests. All aspects of our walk with God require us to be in alignment with His will, and most importantly we must put him first, before all things, or we are fundamentally out of alignment with His will. Matthew 6:33 states this truth clearly when it says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Are you out of alignment in your walk with God? Do your deeds match your words of faith? God is waiting to help you get back into alignment. Just ask Him and He will show you where some changes might be in order. Is God first in your life? Are you prioritizing him in your life by spending time in his word and through prayer, or are you making excuses as to why that is not the case? If so, this is a critical place to begin to get your alignment in order. Good fruit will naturally flow out of this positioning of putting God first in your heart.

Prayer: God, help us to ensure our deeds do match our words out of our deep love for you. We do good things for others to show them your love, because you loved us first. When we are aligned with you, good deeds should flow naturally from our wellspring of life that reflects our close proximity to you. If there are obstacles in the way of our relationship with you, please reveal them to us, and then help us to remove them. We ask all of this in the powerful name of Jesus. Amen!