What would it be like if the people in our world believed that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, sent to save us?

Sometimes I think we evaluate whether or not people are being faithful by what they claim to believe, but perhaps the real sign is what they DO (James).

And by this, I don’t mean that we find a project or a cause and go out and join it - don’t drum up something to show God or man that you are a “good person” - rather, live today faithfully. Full of faith. How would you live if you actually believed that Jesus had come to save you, and had already given you all you need to spend eternity with Him?

Would you worry about that financial need? Would you be concerned about what people thought of you? Would you be fearful about the future? Would you wonder about your own significance? What need do you have that won’t be filled by the God who loved you even before you knew Him? What can man do to you by his evaluations and judgments if God is for you? What ills can the future hold that you must go through alone, or that haven’t come from His hands? And what could be more significant than to be told “well done” by God Himself?

So, maybe faithfulness is a far smaller and more real thing than many think, and the result of many faithful decisions results in a world that is more just, more peaceful, more compassionate, more free from illnesses and the results of our sin. Could it be that we are only willing to tackle the BIG things (world peace, global justice, racism, hatred, poverty) but on the level of our day-to-day lives, unwilling to live without worry (for example) because we don’t REALLY believe that God has provided for us? How can we convince a watching world that everyone would be better off if they would put their trust in Jesus? I don’t think we can accomplish it by trying to impress them with our devotion to causes. On the other hand, true belief will lead to actions that don’t need to be seen. The Pharisees were the ones, after all, who were told “don’t let your right hand know what your left is doing.” Pray in secret, fast in secret, give anonymously. In other words, don’t do your “good deeds” for your own promotion, or they are not really “good.” Let's encourage each other to faithful living, rather than success and happiness, and see if we don't see less poverty, less hatred, less injustice.