How to Live Your Faith and Help Our World
Don’t just sit in a pew, start living your faith too.
“For God did not give you a spirit of timidity or fear, but one of power, love, and self-control.”- 2 Timothy 1:7 (NLT)
I believe that God is moving in the world today. With all the things that are going on to create fear in the world and timidity in the church, I think God wants something to change.
So often, we see people go to church on Sunday, and then live the other six days of the week on their own. Which, I do not believe is God’s plan for our lives.
In a world full of fear right now, we need to step into the role that God gave us when we decided to believe in Jesus. He called us into lives of power, love, and self-control. And this is what our world needs in the midst of the crisis and the challenges we are facing.
In our family, we have memorized this verse in the Bible. Myself, my wife, and both of our daughters all have memorized this verse. When Christians live out of the Holy Spirit who gives us power, love, and self-control, we can reach into the world and make a positive impact.
And I believe this can be done when the church starts to live this out as well.
The Spirit of Power
The spirit of power should not be confused with worldly authority either. It is one that is a connection to the Holy Spirit that gives us the confidence to step into people’s lives to bring healing, comfort, and encouragement.
It is not our job to heal them ourselves, but our job to help bring people to a place where Jesus can bring healing. We can do this with confidence because of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit of Love
Jesus called us to “love our neighbor as ourselves.” How would the world change if we loved more people as we love ourselves. I believe we would see more grace toward people, as well as forgiveness.
And most of all, people would be more comfortable to connect with us to work together toward helping our communities and our families. This would remove so much fear that we feel today.
The Spirit of Self-Control
So many Christians live without self-control. They feel that they can just spout Bible verses at people and walk away. But true self-control is stepping into the lives of other people, no matter how different the circumstances.
It is about fostering a connection with people. Jesus did this by stepping into the lives of the outcast, the sick, and the culturally unacceptable. What if we had the self-control to remove judgment and bring aid to those around us.
A Church of Vibrance and Faith
“And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity — all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” — Acts 2:44–47
The church has heard this scripture many times. Yet, I rarely see it act in this way on a large scale. I believe the way the church solves its problems it has today comes down to two things:
- Worshiping God
- Enjoying the Goodwill of All the People
The early church came together and focused on what God was doing among them and around them. They shared all that they had and spent time together, but they focused on other people too. They were joyful, generous people. And they focused on the goodwill of all.
When we live our faith in this manner, we can begin to help the world work through the fears we all face.
How are you living your faith today? Are you reaching out to your community during this time of fear? Share in the responses below to encourage others to do the same.
Start reading your Bible today with these simple plans: 31 Days in Proverbs and 21 Days in the Gospel of John. Download them today!