What I believe: Doing, not hearing

This is my first participation in any thing like this. Thanks, Beth, for hosting this! I have many things that I could write, yet I fear it is hard to choose since none of them are all that well formed. If I even get time, I would love to form these into nice little essays. Maybe when I graduate.

But today I want to share just the outlines of one of my ideas, inspired by George MacDonald. I have fallen in love with his work since last fall, and have really been enjoying my class where we read and discuss his books (and G.K. Chesterton). One of his main issues in his books is well put, simply, in a Rich Mullins song "Faith without works is like a song you can't sing, It's about as useless as a screen door on a submarine." James also states this issue: "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." And in MacDonald's own words: "It is better to be an atheist who does the will of God, than a so-called Christian who does not." "But the more familiar one becomes with any religious system, while yet the conscience and will are unawakened and obedience has not begun, the harder it is to enter into the kingdom of heaven."

What does it mean to be a Christian? I know what it means to be saved: confess Jesus as Lord and believe He was raised. But to be a Christian- we must have obedience, we must have actions to match our faith. What example are we setting? Is this really only about beliefs, and not a changed life? I hope none of this is new to all you believers out there. You know that a life should be different now that you do believe.

But if we can truly make this a part of our lives, we become part of something amazing: God's will. And it is this will that brings others to Him, that brings Him glory, and how we can be who He is making us to be. We need to be different, not only in beliefs, but in actions too. That is what I believe!

Now acting on this, ah yes, that is the problem. I have a belief on that too: we are selfish. But that's another topic in progress, for another day