One of my favorite quotes by Andy Stanley is “Direction, not intention, determines destination.” I am always challenged by this because I can have all the great intentions in the world to do something … become more generous, eat healthier, shop less, etc. but until my actions are adjusted, I never arrive at my intended destination. If I want to be more generous, I need to adjust my behavior to give more time and money to people and organizations God lays on my heart. If my spending is getting excessive, then I need to stop going to the mall or browsing catalogs online.
The second chapter of James highlights this concept laying out how our “faith and actions” need to work together. James 2:21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. (Emphasis mine) Our faith (intentions) need to be connected to our actions (our direction) in order to reach our destination (obeying God’s will for our lives). As I pondered how I could actually cause my faith and actions to sync and work together, I saw 3 consistent ways I could “sync up” and stay connected to God as my source.
1. OPEN HEART – Through having an open heart to God, I remain available to spend time with him where he can plant seeds in me, tenderize my spirit, prepare my heart to obey and sensitize myself to hear His voice as He whispers His dreams and plans for me.
2. OPEN EYES – How can my faith ever have the opportunity to act if I walk through my days with my eyes closed or blinded to large and small opportunities God puts in my pathway? I recently went on a quest for the “perfect” pair of black pants. Once I was aware I needed them, I began to see black pants everywhere I went. In essence, I trained myself to be on the lookout for them. The same is true as I ask God to open my eyes and remove my blindspots. Open eyes help me know when He wants to turn my faith into action.
3. OPEN HANDS – When I walk through my day with open hands, I am telling God that I have surrendered my expectations and am willing for Him to interrupt my day, schedule and plans with ways my faith can act. Proverbs 16:9 says “we make our plans, but the Lord directs our steps.” This is the truth of open-handed living.
As I live my life with an open heart, open eyes and open hands, I am plugging into God’s source to sync my faith to my actions and turn my thoughts about God into actions for God.
COACHING QUESTION: Which of the 3 areas do you feel your faith and actions are most “out of sync”? What is a visual reminder for you to sync up? It could be a scripture posted strategically, a photo of a group of people God has called you to serve or telling a friend to keep you accountable. Please share some of your insights in the comments below.
