May 6, 2020
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
“Faith without works is quite useless.” James 2:20
The weekend of my retirement my nephew game me a copy of the biography of NFL Hall of Fame Coach and former Pittsburgh Steeler head coach, Chuck Noll, written by Michael McCambridge. The book reported that at a Steeler press conference at the time of the long-time head coach’s retirement in 1991 he was asked how he would like to be remembered. In response, Coach Noll quoted Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Your actions speak so loudly that I cannot hear what you have to say.” Then Coach Nolladded, “I would like to keep it that way.”
We have always known that actions speak louder than words as Jesus’ brother, James, emphasized in the Book of James: “Faith without works is quite useless.” Whenever there is a crisis, personal or corporate, there is usually the inclination to pray, which we do ardently and faithfully, but we take it to the next level when our prayers turn into actions to help others: feeding those in food lines, helping the unemployed, using your God-given skills to serve others, contributing to charities helping people in great need, volunteering to give blood in medical emergencies, calling a lonely family member or friend in a retirement home. No matter the nature of the emergency, there is something tangible you and I can do to help someone. Let us continue to look for ways to serve others during our current medical crisis.
Prayer: Father in heaven, encourage us to look for ways to serve others during this crisis as we come together to make a difference in the lives of others who are in great need. May our actions equal the sincerity of our prayers. In His name we pray. Amen.
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