A Thinking Faith–Monday Musing 3 February 2020

Faith without works is dead. 
James 2:17

This is the musing that has grabbed my attention.  But if you really know me, you know I’m about to take this truth outside of the typical and usual thinking.  Typically and usually this verse is applied to actions.  And no doubt about it, this is one of the things James is speaking about.  And if you know me, really know me, you know I am about to stretch the envelope.

The Greek word used by James is ergon; one of the many meanings of this word is “anything accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind”.  Did you catch that last word “mind”?  Well, I did, and what this says to me is that if our faith doesn’t change our mind then our faith is…what’s that word?….oh yeah, DEAD!  How you think, more than anything else, ANYTHING ELSE, determines the direction of your life and who you are and who you are becoming. Thinking not only impacts you but also your family, neighborhood, church, community and nation.

Not only who you are and who you are becoming, how you think influences your family, church, neighborhood, community and this nation.  Everyone “thinks”—right now you’re “thinking” of that person or group who you are convinced isn’t THINKING.  And you can cite example after example after example why you think that they aren’t THINKING.  But I stand by assertion that everyone thinks.  It’s just they are doing what the late Zig Ziglar said:  they have stinkin’ thinkin’.

Why all this thinking about thinking on this Monday Musing?  Where do I begin?  Let’s focus on one thing that’s happening.  We are in an election cycle here in the good old U.S. of A.  This is NOT a political post about any political party.  It is about you, the voters—and how you think.  In 2012 Andy Andrews wrote a short book, takes less than an hour to read, titled How Do You Kill Eleven Million People?  Here’s Andy’s explanation on YouTube. And yes, I’m an Andy Addict and don’t refer me to any 12 step program.

The 11 million killed refers to those killed by Hitler and the Nazi regime.  His conclusion is simple but so profound—you allow the government to lie.  A little known fact Andy reveals is that less than 10% of the people in Germany were Nazis.  Get that:  10% controlled 90%.  How?  Because the majority of eligible voters voted for them?  No, because more people that could have changed the outcome of that election didn’t vote.

I’m just getting started, so to keep this from being any longer, I’ll get to the point. All of us have been lied to by politicians and we have made that acceptable. Furthermore, many of you have given up or given in to stinkin’ thinkin’. The result is that many of you have quit exercising your faith through your works–and your works includes your THINKING. Families are in crisis, communities are in chaos and local congregations are dying, and all because too many people have become passive.

Do you want to see your family, neighborhood, church, community and nation change for the better? Put your faith to work. Become involved. Listen. Learn. Share. Speak up and speak out, in love of course. And work begins with how you think.

Love God with all your heart. Love others the way Jesus loves you. And make sure all the glory goes to HIM!