Three weeks in – we’re halfway there! By now, generosity is probably sinking a little deeper into our lives. It’s a great time to put action behind our words. Think of moments when you’ve read or heard about something generous and thought ‘that’s a nice idea’, but never get around to doing it. Now’s the time.
“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (James 2:14–17 ESV)
Growing up, I often heard the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’ used repeatedly. I particularly remember my parents using this phrase in response to regular parents’ evenings where teachers would note how ‘talkative’ a child I was, I would then promise to be quieter in school moving forward, and my parents would end up repeating the same phrase next time – thinking about it now, they had a lot of patience!
In the world we live in, where problems seem to occur or be brought to our attention on a daily basis, I find myself challenged to take action. By our actions and how we use our resources (of time and money), we really see what we value and where we want to enact change.
We also live in an age where social media gives us the opportunity to get involved and instantly feel like we are part of global or local communities. While undoubtedly this has so many benefits, it’s important we don’t reduce taking action to just reposting or tweeting a trending hashtag about a situation.
As Christians, I believe we have an incredible opportunity in our society to be advocates of change. We have the privilege to show generosity and supplement our heartfelt sentiments with our resources so that action can be taken.
Perhaps in your own life, there are situations or environments where you know you feel passionately about making a difference. Are words enough or, maybe starting with this year’s Lent season, there’s an opportunity for you to give your time or money to make a difference? It could be with a community group for school kids in your neighbourhood, or it could be with a local missions charity in your city seeking to make the name of Jesus known. Whether big or small, what we do is important and has the power to effect change.
CHALLENGE:
What act have you put off over the last few weeks? What sounded like a good idea at the time, but you never got around to doing? Put it at the top of today’s to-do list.
Contributed by Ruth Yimika Awogbade - Ruth is passionate about innovation and creativity and works with organisations to help them engage new audiences, particularly through various forms of communication. She is the founder and editor of MAGNIFY – a women’s faith and lifestyle platform. She has been featured on the BBC, in The Huffington Post, Marie Claire and the Mail On Sunday due to a recognition of her work as an influential young woman redefining faith and feminism. Ruth also currently serves as a board member with the Evangelical Alliance.