Doers--Not Pretenders of the Faith

What am I talking about here—doers, not pretenders?  What is a doer of the faith?  It must have to do with something pertaining to a divine nature, or walking in some kind of positive attitude and disciplined behavior.  It sounds to me like it could be at the opposite side, or opposite end, of a pretender.

A pretender is someone who pretends to be something they are not.  They may look the part, talk the part, and even convince others that they are something they are not.  But what happens when the pressure is on?  What comes out of a person then?

Jesus said in Matthew 7:20, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”

Our actions often reveal what is truly within us.  It is one thing to say we have faith, but another thing altogether to live it out.

James 1:22 tells us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

That is pretty straightforward.  We can hear the Word of God, read the Word of God, and even talk about the Word of God—but are we doing what it says?

I believe being a doer of the faith means putting our faith into action.  It means allowing what we believe to influence how we live, how we treat others, how we respond to difficult situations, and even how we conduct ourselves when no one else is watching.

It does not mean we will never make mistakes.  We are still human, and we will stumble from time to time.  But there should be a desire within us to get back up, ask God for forgiveness when we need to, and continue moving forward with Him.

What comes out of us when life squeezes us?

James 3:11 asks, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?”

That question makes me think.  What is flowing from my life?  Am I allowing the things of God to flow through me, or am I allowing the things of the world to contaminate what should be coming from within?

Perhaps the real question is not whether we call ourselves Christians, but whether our lives demonstrate that we are following Christ.

Are we doers—or merely pretenders?  Are we living what we say we believe?  Are we allowing God’s Word to change us from the inside out?

I don’t believe God is happy with people who simply pretend to have faith.  He is looking for people who will trust Him, obey Him, and allow Him to work through their lives.

Being a doer of the faith is not about putting on a show for other people.  It is about having a genuine relationship with God and allowing that relationship to affect every part of our lives.

The world may not always understand us.  People may question why we believe what we believe or why we choose to live differently.  But our responsibility is not to pretend.  Our responsibility is to remain faithful.

If we truly belong to Christ, shouldn’t our lives reflect Him?

Perhaps we should occasionally stop and examine ourselves—not to condemn ourselves, but to honestly ask God to show us what needs to change.

So, let us not merely be hearers of the Word.  Let us be doers.  Let us put our faith into action.

Let us allow God to work in us, through us, and around us so that others can see something genuine—not a performance, not a pretense, but the evidence of a life being changed by God.

Then we can travel the road to heaven with Jesus, with our heads held high as children of the Most High God—not pretending to be His, but living as those who truly belong to Him.

Written by,

Papa Boyd