People are basically creatures of habit.  Our daily routines give stability to our changing world.  Our morning and evening rituals of dressing, mealtime, and work help keep us balanced.  Our church worship services, the Word of God and Christian friends are an important source of strength for the week.  A man last week told me his son has been visiting churches and found only one that actually preached the Word.  All the rest seemed to be self-help groups.

          This message today may seem like self-help, but it's much more.  It's about God-help, because it's about God's love.  Our faith depends solely on the life and work of Christ.  His perfect life and His innocent death are the source of our salvation.  His resurrection guarantees our resurrection.  Because He's done all this for us, we respond to God with deeds of love.  Our good deeds show God our love.  I want us to consider today what it means to do just that.

          Our salvation in Jesus is completely free.  We can't do a thing to get to heaven.  He's done it all, and that's that!  So what is James saying when he talks about our need for good works?  He says works are needed to show we have faith.  They're our response to God for what He's done for us in Christ, a godly "thank you" note like we send Grandma for a birthday gift.  Our deeds show God we trust Him and that we're grateful.  They show Him we love Him.

          Perhaps some will remember Eliza Doolittle, in the musical "My Fair Lady."  In one scene she laments about her boyfriend Freddie, who is a man of much talk, but no action.  "Words, words, I'm sick of words," she says.  Then she bursts into song, "Don't talk of stars burning above, if you're in love, show me!"

          God is telling us this morning, "If you love me, show me!  Don't just say you're a Christian and belong to a church - show me!  Don't just talk about faith - do something to prove it.  If you love me, show me!"

          Trouble is, we don't always know how to do that - to show love, to God or even to people.  One person thinks showing God love means preserving church tradition.  Another thinks it means doing something new.  One thinks showing love is giving a big gift while another thinks big gifts are being a show-off.  One thinks his idea is right and therefore might think the other guy is wrong.

          Disagreements in a church can be based on sin, but sometimes they're just based on differences.  We people just don't see and do things the same way.

          Our world says, "Seeing is believing."  But Christians say, "Believing is seeing."  Who's right?  Both are!  "Seeing is believing" is all about facts and what we can prove.  "Believing is seeing" is all about faith and what we can't prove.  The world says, "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have believed it."  The Christian says, "If I hadn't have believed it, I wouldn't have seen it."  Faith is dependent on what we believe, not on what we see.  Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for, being certain of what we do not see."  But faith in God needs love.  Christians and non-Christians don't always see things the same way, but they both need God's love.

          Maybe that's why so many today doubt the existence of the God.  They think faith must be based on what you can prove.  They look at Christians to see proof of their faith.  Every day the unbelievers of the world look at us to see our faith in action.  They want to see if Christians are any different from others.  And they especially want to see how Christians deal with each other, how they love each other and forgive each other.

          God wants us to show our faith by our deeds.  But we don't all do this the same way because we're all different.  Of course, sin is always present.  Sin hurts and separates us, no matter who or what we are like.  Sin turns our best efforts upside down and inside out.  But we do need to admit our differences, and that we don't all do things the same way.  Our personalities make us unique, especially in how we give and receive love.  If we don't recognize this, we'll think we're the only ones right and everyone else is wrong.

          Gary Chapman has written a book called, The Five Languages of Love.  In it he says there are five basic ways people show love or want to have love shown them.

1.       Words of Affirmation - some people like to be told they look nice, or told they've done well.  When they hear encouragement or a compliment, they feel loved and appreciated.

2.       Giving or Receiving Gifts - some people feel loved and valued when they receive gifts, especially unexpected ones.  A gift box from someone else is a precious thing, no matter what's inside.

3.       Appropriate Touching - some people like hugs, or a hand on the shoulder.  They're very likely to be huggers themselves, for almost any reason.  It makes them feel loved and appreciated.

4.       Acts That Show Caring - Carol loves it when I vacuum the house or fix the car.  It tells her I love her enough to do what needs to be done, especially if it's something she doesn't like doing.

5.       Quality Time - I love it when Carol and I sit on the couch together or hold hands as we walk.  But not all want to be touched, and some hate small talk.  Some don't like it when we shake hands at the start of our service, but they enjoy a compliment or being asked their opinion.

          Not surprisingly, we usually show love the way we like to receive love.  If we like to get gifts, we also like to give them.  That's why some guys give their wives a power saw for her birthday!  We may go to a great deal of trouble wrapping a present, and then feel hurt when people tear it open without care.  Or they visit a long time with us, and we just want to go home.

          We all need to give and receive love, but we don't all want it in the same way.  And because we show love differently, we will often disagree.  Carol and I share the same values and goals, but we do things differently.  She can run her hand through my hair any time, but I won't to hers.  She loves compliments, but to me they're embarrassing.  I want to show love by spending time with her, but she does it by buying me a new shirt.

          What does this mean for us?  It means one person's idea of love may seem strange to another, but it's still love.  And it means we should let others show their love without judgment.  That's why Jesus said, "Judge not, lest you be judged."  He wasn't talking about obvious sin, but about seeing and doing things differently.  Yes, sin needs to be judged, and the Bible is clear on how to do it.  But Jesus tells us not to judge someone else's action just because it is different.  You and I don't see things through the same eyes, so we'd best be careful not to point a finger until we really know what's going on.

          Six year old Michael decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes for breakfast.  He dragged the chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and found a big bowl and spoon.  He pulled out the flour cannister, spilling it all over the floor.  He scooped some flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in the milk he didn't spill and added a fistful of sugar, leaving a white trail across the floor.  And the more he worked, the bigger mess he made.

          Soon Michael looked at the kitchen and felt awful.  He wanted this to be something good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting to be a disaster.  He didn't know whether to put the batter on the stove or into the garbage.  Then he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of pancake mix and when he reached to push her away, he knocked the bowl to the floor!  Frantically he tried to clean up the mess, but slipped on the batter, getting his pajamas all sticky.  He was a total mess, and just then he saw Dad standing at the door.  Tears welled up in Michael's little eyes.  All he'd wanted was to do something good, but he'd made a horrible mess.  He was sure a scolding was coming, probably a spanking.  But his Dad didn't do that.  Instead he walked through the middle of the mess, picked up his crying son, and hugged him, getting his own pajamas all sticky in the process.

          Imagine what Michael learned from his Dad that day!  He saw love in action, not just in words.  He knew he was loved in spite of his mess.  And that's how God deals with us.  He holds us close when we fail.  He cleans up our mess, no matter how bad it is.  Our marriage gets sticky or we fail at work or we make a bad financial decision or our health goes sour.  Sometimes all we can do is stand there in tears because our life has become such a sticky mess.

          That's when Jesus puts His arms around us - if we'll just let Him.  He loves us and forgives us - through each other - even though our sins get Him all dirty.  That's why Christ came - to take our sins on Himself.  That's why we show God's love to others - we're His hands and arms.  He loves us through people who love us.  It's important to be shown love, but it's very important we pass along God's love to others, too.

          We show our faith by our deeds.  And just because we might make a mess, we can't stop making pancakes.  Sooner or later we'll get it right, despite some mistakes.  Jesus said, "Let your light shine so people can see your good works and give glory to God." (Matthew 5:16)   He was saying, "If you love me, show me."  People out there need to know God's love, so let's show them, acts of kindness, deeds of love, love without strings attached.  And when others show you their love, be sure to thank them, and then return it.  That's God's way.  Amen

Copyright © 2003 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.