Faith and Works
Faith, without works, is dead. If you’ve grown up in the Church, you’ve probably heard that statement repeated on numerous occasions. The second chapter of the book of James explores the idea of the two going hand in hand. Although it is our faith, not our works, that saves us, we are still called to take action and ownership of what God has given us. In my life so far, I have observed the tendency for Christians to struggle with the concept of faith and works both fitting together to fulfill God’s Will, particularly in our individual lives. You can have goals and expectations in life (most of which can be and are a positive thing), but if you don’t take action, you are likely subjecting yourself to a great deal of disappointment. On the other hand, it is easy to micromanage every little thing, leaving little to no room for intervention. As we try to balance both faith and works, there is a fine line that can be difficult to identify when deciding whether to take action ourselves or simply give it to God and let go.
It’s easy to overemphasize both faith and works individually; each side has its pitfalls. To elaborate, the first is an over-reliance on “faith” without wise discernment or action. This can manifest as a passive mindset that says, “If it’s meant to be, then God will just make it happen” (i.e., praying for healing but not taking the initiative to get the necessary care). Be wary of the fault in this! Of course, the Lord works in mysterious ways, and you may be questioning, “Elizabeth, are you denying God’s hand in all things?” My answer is, of course, not. However, we tend to remind ourselves of the truth that “If it's God’s Will, then it will happen,” usually after we have exhausted all that we can actively do in the moment.
The passive mindset of overspiritualizing matters, regardless of intention, assumes that God must fulfill our prayers or He doesn’t really exist. This is a tactic the Enemy uses as a weapon for people to turn their back on their faith because “How could a real, all-powerful, loving God let such terrible things happen?” Another distorted mindset is the belief in God’s reluctance to intervene because of one’s “lack of faith.” Many people fall prey to the lie that if only they believed more, then God would heal, fix, give an answer, etc. It is compelling, after all, because the Bible tells the story in three of the four Gospels of the woman who was healed by simply touching Jesus’ robe because of her faith in His power to heal. I’m no pastor or theologian, and I don’t have a solid answer for why such encounters happened then but not now. However, I am inclined to believe that we, as a whole, tend to overlook and take for granted the many incredible, God-given things we are fortunate enough to have in modern medicine today.
Another issue in the over-spiritualization of matters is when people blame God for
undesired outcomes of their own free-willed choices. For instance, a person may feel regret when looking back on their life choices and a deep resentment towards God because they believed God told them to do something, even though they lacked clear evidence and counsel that those decisions would be godly and wise. Pastor and author Ben Stuart once claimed in a podcast that “Hope...is confidence in a good future based on evidence from the past.” Furthermore, to paraphrase his remarks: Hope without evidence is not actually hope; it is simply wishful thinking. We can easily find ourselves caught up in the desires of our deceitful hearts, only to realize that God doesn’t always simply tell us what we want to hear. Hope, without evidence, is dead.
The second group, as mentioned previously, is those who fall into the trap of trying to fix every little thing that is troubling us. In other words, putting too much weight on our own work. This could manifest as, but is not limited to, micromanagement, obsessive thought patterns, or compulsive actions. But the truth is that life often takes us by surprise. Things come out of left field, leaving us confused, disappointed, and doubtful. In hearing each of the fellows’ testimonies last semester, I realized how much each of us has been shaped by: the people in our lives, the experiences we’ve had, and the hardships we’ve walked through. Things can be so unpredictable, and it can be extremely challenging to see how God can still bring good out of even the worst scenarios; yet this remains true.
One day, while driving in Nashville, I saw a billboard on the interstate that said: “What you do next changes everything.” I may not be quoting it verbatim, but it was at least a message of a very similar nature. I interpreted it as having an underlying tone of inspiration and motivation, but quite frankly, I found it more overwhelming than encouraging. This could easily sit in the back of my mind, leading me to doubt every move and future decision. In the past, I’ve struggled with decision paralysis due to the fear of messing up God’s plan for my life. While the message of “What you do next changes everything” is, rhetorically speaking, an effective statement, there’s greater appeal in accepting it as truth from a secular perspective. Through a Christian lens, it’s much more challenging. In Scripture, we see that God’s love is unconditional (Lamentations 3:22) and His character is unwavering (Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, there is nothing we can do to change who God is or His love for us. It is through us, His image-bearers, that God’s Will is done. We are, after all, called to be the hands and feet of Jesus. God calls us into a relationship with Him and into community with one another, and if we are truly pursuing Him and His will, then we cannot go wrong. When we inevitably fall back into sin, we can rest assured that we are never beyond God’s reach, for He is ready to bring us back to Him and His abundant mercy. Time after time, we can reflect on how God fulfills His plan and purpose, bringing goodness even out of the worst of things, showcasing the ultimate redemption we receive through our faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Elizabeth Olmsted, Class 13
Hometown: Lynchburg, VA
University of Virginia Graduate
