April 11 – Faith That Acts
Faith without love is nothing; love without faith is impossible. St. Francis de Sales
Gregg’s Reflection
When I think of faith in action, I’m reminded of times when Genie and I stepped into something that made no sense on paper—selling our family business, moving to Colorado, building our off-grid home. We didn’t take those steps because we had a perfect plan or a guarantee of success. We took them because we trusted God was leading, and that trust called for movement.
Faith without works is like a seed that never breaks the soil—it contains life, but it doesn’t bear fruit. At the same time, works without faith are just motion without direction. The beauty comes when faith and works flow together, as one unbroken movement of the Spirit. Luther and Paul were not opposed to good works; they simply insisted that works be the overflow of faith, never the root of salvation.
Living faith will inevitably show up in our lives. It may be in bold steps of obedience, or in quiet acts of love no one notices. Either way, the action is born not of self-justification but of deep trust that God is with us, shaping the story, and that His grace will meet us in the doing.
Scripture
So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
James 2:17
Ancient Quotes
Faith without love is nothing; love without faith is impossible.
St. Francis de Sales, Treatise on the Love of God, Book XI, Ch. 4
Modern Quotes
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love, 1963
Faith does not need to push the river because faith is able to trust that there is a river. The river is flowing. We are in it.
Richard Rohr, Falling Upward
Journaling Prompts
- When have I acted in faith without having all the answers?
- How can I discern whether my actions are driven by trust in God or by self-effort?
- What small act of obedience could I take today as an expression of faith?
👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 15 Reflection: Faith vs Works