Does Your Faith Have Feet?

“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)

This year I watched from afar as a dear friend walked through her husband’s deployment to the Middle East for several months. She amazed me with her strength in parenting, ministry, homeschooling, and full-time work all while her partner was thousands of miles away, frequently in volatile areas. Her faithfulness left an impression on me.

One thing troubled me in my conversations with her during this period: her church community fell short in the opportunity to serve her. They offered prayers and texts, but real help that could have made a lasting impact on the life of my friend and her children never came. My heart ached for both her and for the congregation that missed an opportunity to be the hands and feet of Christ. Prayer, of course, is a vital part of caring for our neighbors, but prayer combined with action can change the world.

A few years ago I read the book Love Does by Bob Goff. It’s one of my favorite books, and I recommend it often. In this collection of essays, Goff mixes wit and wisdom to share his infectious, quirky, and wholehearted view on living. One essay stuck out to me; it was about Bible study. After years of studying Scripture with his Bible study group, Goff decided to change the group to a “Bible doing” group. Service became their focus.

As a Bible study leader myself, I love this idea. Spending time in Scripture is a necessary part of our faith, but we can be caught in a trap of too much knowing and not enough doing. Consider some influential faith leaders: Mother Teresa, Thomas Merton, the apostle Paul, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Billy Graham, Dorothy Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Jeremy Courtney (of Preemptive Love Coalition). While these people have given us many great examples of writing and teaching, their actions have made a lasting impact for the kingdom of God. Their faith has had feet.

We may not be global influencers when it comes to faith, but that doesn’t excuse us from not walking out our faith with action and intention. James is quite clear that we should be “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22 ESV), and we can be trailblazers for God’s radical love in our communities. God does nothing by accident. Sending his Son to a small town to change eternity with both his words and his actions serves as an example to us over two thousand years later. Jesus not only prayed for those he encountered; he ate with them, touched them, traveled to them, fed them, and healed them. As followers of Jesus, we should observe his teachings and his methods.

When we decide to follow Jesus, we commit to being ambassadors of his sacrificial love to those whose lives we touch. We should be willing to be inconvenienced for the sake of the gospel. Being sacrificial looks like stopping to tie a shoe when we have a hundred other things to do. It’s going to see a friend going through a hard time when it would be so much easier to just call. Jesus gave his life for us. The least we can do to honor him is to use some of our time to help a fellow child of God.

What does it look like to give our faith feet? It’s simpler than you think. Here are a few ways you can act with action-based faith.

Get specific.

When someone we know is going through a difficult time, we often find ourselves saying, “Let me know if I can help.” This puts the responsibility to reach out on the person already under challenging circumstances. Instead, ask the person to name one specific thing that would be helpful. In our culture, we aren’t good at asking for and receiving help. If they can’t think of anything, check in again soon.

Use tools.

We get alerts on our phone for nearly everything these days. Why not put your phone to good use and make it a device for greater connection? Set a calendar reminder to check in with older relatives or sick friends.

Keep it simple.

I organized the meal ministry at my church for several years. Often, folks wanted to participate, but they allowed their lack of cooking skills to stop them. You don’t have to be a Michelin star chef to take someone a meal. The meal I most often took to people was one I didn’t even cook myself. Walk into a grocery store, grab a rotisserie chicken, a big bag of salad, a loaf of crusty bread, and a dessert from the bakery. In less than ten minutes, you have a meal that took almost no prep but will be eaten with thanksgiving by someone in need.

Take it one step further.

In our tech-savvy world, it’s easy to just text or send a quick message to friends in need. This can be an excellent first step, but it’s not the sacrificial way of Jesus. An easy way to make an impact is to take your planned action one step further. If you plan to text, call. If you plan to call, ask if you can stop by for a visit.

Will you join me in Bible doing? Jesus reminds us that the harvest is great and the workers are few (Matthew 9:37 NIV). Let’s be workers who spread the gospel with our deeds, both great and small. Seize the next opportunity to give your faith feet. You won’t regret it.

Lindsay Hufford is a small-scale farmer, home educator, chicken chaser, kitchen dancer, and mediocre knitter. Her favorite things include spending time with her family, exploring the natural world, reading, eating spicy food, and singing loudly in the car (to the embarrassment of her children). Lindsay believes sharing our stories will change the world. She writes about farming, homeschooling, faith, mental health, sobriety, and living an unconventional life. You can follow her adventures at peckandpetalfarm.com.