Actions matter more than words. The author of the Letter of James writes that faith all by itself doesn\u2019t do much. From this has come the popular notion, often criticized, that \u201cGod helps those who help themselves.\u201d But that in fact is what James\u2019 point actually is. He demands of his readers that those who claim to have faith should be demonstrating that fact. Demons believe in God, he tells us, but that doesn\u2019t seem to change their behavior at all. Telling us you have faith is about as useful as a demon\u2019s belief in God. What you believe should be reflected in how you live. If it isn\u2019t, what good is your belief? If someone lacks food and clothes, telling them, \u201cGo, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed\u201d doesn’t end their suffering. If you don\u2019t actually do something about their physical needs, your kind words and good intentions are worthless.<\/p>\n
In politics, nine times out of ten all that seems to matter are the words that the politicians chose to say. What they actually do rarely matters. The intentions of their programs and legislations trumps the actual outcome. If it doesn’t work, doesn’t help, or actively hurts, well, who cares. The intentions were good. We did something. We prove we care. The politician that says warm words about the suffering gets more political traction than the one who doesn\u2019t, even if the one who doesn’t open his mouth puts real money, sweat and tears into an effort that is actually transformative. If the politician belongs to the wrong party, or if he doesn\u2019t use just the right magic words, what he does seems not to matter. <\/p>\n
But in the real world, unlike the political world, what you do matters far more than what you say. <\/p>\n
Our presidents, our congresses, our governors and our legislators have very good intentions. They love telling us how much they care, how much they feel our pain, and they love giving pretty speeches about how much they intend<\/em> to make things better. Unfortunately, they are just paving the road to Hell. Telling us how they meant well doesn’t make the flames feel any better.<\/p>\n Actions matter more than words. The author of the Letter of James writes that faith all by itself doesn\u2019t do much. From this has come the popular notion, often criticized, that \u201cGod helps those who help themselves.\u201d But that in … Continue reading ![](\"https:\/\/nettelhorst.com\/blog1\/wp-content\/plugins\/send-to-kindle\/media\/white-15.png\")
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