what we do ... or don't do ... and how.

I was struck today as I was reading Matthew 25 that it's not just what we do that matters, it's also what we don't do.  I don't know about you, but that's the harder part for me!  I can do pretty well staying away from doing the "biggees" ... but I struggle with knowing the good I should do and not doing it (James 4:17) ... and you know what, I think in some ways that grieves the heart of God even more! 

Matthew 25:
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.  For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

When I was doing the James study I was convicted by this section in James 2:
¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ 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? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

How often do we do this?  See a need ... and walk away without being part of being used to meet that need?  Maybe it's food or clothing?  maybe it's just listening, really listening?  maybe it's giving our time?  opening our house or our life?  maybe it's letting down our guard ...  We see the need and then say, "God bless you" as if it's a dismissal to walk away from the need. 

BUT, knowing truth and having faith and doing nothing with it ... it's SIN and it's a DEAD faith.  YIKES.  But we didn't do anything "bad" ... or did we??

And even more than that, it's HOW we do it.  Grudgingly or willingly?  With love and grace or with obligation or guilt? 

I am rediscovering that living the life Christ called us to is harder than just following a prescribed set of rules or marking some thing off with a flourished check ... one of my favorite Bonhoffer quotes is:

"To delay or fail to make decisions may be more sinful than to make wrong decisions out of faith and love."

It's that whole delayed obedience is disobedience thing.  I don't like that.  I mean, so what if it takes me some time to decide that I will do the right thing.  Hmmmm ... according to Bonhoffer, it can be disobedience.  Sometimes we don't get another chance.  I am trying to learn to adjust my life to the rhythm of Christ in me ... to move when He moves, to stop when He stops, and to act when He tells me.  But some days, I just long to take the "easy road" and try not to do "bad" things ...

Love the Lord your God with all your HEART, SOUL, MIND, and STRENGTH ... and love your neighbor as yourself.  My sweet friend, Katie, has been praying this for her daughter since she was just a wee little peanut in the womb.  I think we would all do well to pray the same for our lives.