FAITH = LOVE + TRUST + ACTION.

“If you love me, you will obey what I command” John 14:15

The word “obey” has a negative connotation today. We view obedience as a forced, unwilling decision to do something we don’t want to do because we’re afraid of punishment. But that’s not the kind of obedience Jesus encouraged. Obedience is not about being afraid of God, but about being in a loving relationship with God. As Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” Obedience comes from knowing that God loves you and loving God in return. Out of love comes trust. If you know God loves you and you love God, then you can trust what God is saying to you. Then trust will lead to openness and action. This is the essence of living by faith: We believe God loves us and we love in return; we trust what God tells us and that frees us to live the way Jesus lived. Love without action is mere talk, and action without love is just immature religious activity. Think about Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary was suffering in poverty under an unjust political regime. Then one day God sent an angel to tell her: You will conceive a baby and bear a son who will change all of this. Mary was perplexed and asked the angel how this would happen. The angel told her that the power of God would “overshadow” her. Can you imagine how terrified this young girl must have been? But she listened to the angel, and accepted this difficult truth and responded saying, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according too your word.” Mary accepted the difficult assignment because of her relationship with God. She knew God loved her, and she loved God. She trusted God and made the choice to do what God asked her to do, even though she didn’t understand what was happening. And that choice changed everything. Faith = Love + Trust + Action. Do you love God? Do you trust God? Then take action and say like Mary said, “Let it be!”