Grateful Efforts

Read Proverbs 2

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

James 1:27

One of the greatest misunderstandings of people throughout the ages is thinking that their religious efforts will make God look favorably upon them when they die and face him for judgment. Christianity is the world’s only religion that doesn’t make this claim. It was that very misunderstanding among the Pharisees of the New Testament that Jesus so roundly condemned. Jesus’ message was that God’s acceptance of us is his act of love and mercy, not the result of our conforming to certain standards of a religious creed. His love for us is a gift to be humbly received by coming to him through his son, Jesus.

Why, then, does this verse in James seem to say that the true religion is caring for orphans and widows? Isn’t he asking us to act a certain way to obtain his favor? Certainly, God wants us to care for orphans and widows, but not in order to earn his favor. Instead, he is simply stating that if we truly love him, we will love and serve the most needy among us with selfless humility. Our good deeds will be the natural outpouring of our gratitude to God for his gift of love to us.

A WORD FOR TODAY

Caring about God leads to caring about others.

Today, Lord, may my attitude be one of humility, and may I accept and love others as you have loved me.