4:104 – Fix It Now, Don’t Let It Fester

#faithbites #faithjourney fix

Setting

I’m a bit frustrated today. I’ve been thinking about several things that if they would have just been fixed when it happened, it would be so much easier. First, I cracked my tooth yesterday. I’m calling to get it fixed right away. I don’t want that pain. Second, my floor. So much frustration. When they replaced the floor, I told them there was a soft spot and it needed to be fixed. They put a bandaid on it and it was still very soft. Now they will fix it again but cutting out the subfloor, pouring concrete, releveling, and putting another new floor on top. Imagine the cost savings if they would have just listened and fixed it when it was first brought up. Lastly, I’ve had a head cold and refused to take meds for it. So I got pretty miserable. Once my wife told me to take meds, I finally did and I’m on the mend. But if I would have just taken meds at the first onset, it would have been better.

Today’s questions: Do you have issues on your #faithjourney that you need to fix now? Have you waited too long to make a change in your life? What is God telling you to do that you’ve put off?

Scripture

• James 1:23-25 – For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
• 1 John 3:18 – Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Reflection

We are taught to be people of action. How often do you have an idea or know that something needs to be fixed, but you don’t do it? Heck, I have a laundry list of things I need to do but I don’t move on it. I’ve had repairs that have costed orders of magnitude more because I saw a problem and didn’t fix it right away. Faith is no different.

We see in James that we have to be doers of God’s word. It doesn’t help us to just be hearers of it. We have to live the life that Jesus wants us to. If we don’t, we are no better than someone who lets teaching go in one ear and out the others. The act of acting is what separates us. As we’ve said before, we don’t have salvation through works, that is through Christ alone. Our actions help to deepen our faith, improve our communities, and help us understand how faith should drive us forward.

I don’t know the answers on how to get motivated. What I do know is I have to pray about it and ask God what things I need to fix now before they get much worse. Speaking of that, I have a dentist to call about this tooth.

As we close, remember that God wants us to be of action. Find ways to fix what is broken or misaligned. Speak your mind in kindness, love, and faith.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help us be action people. Help us not to put off what needs to be fixed today. Give us the energy to do what needs to be done now, so we can rest and enjoy later. We pray all these things in your name, Amen.