The Necessity of the Word of God and External Action

   It seems obvious to all of us that the reason the bible exhorts us is to human action is essential to spiritual growth. The only way I can experience life is through my body, by body is how my social world experiences me. When I am speaking to a group they see my body, they don’t see me. They experience me as a 6-6 225 pound white haired man. The sound of my voice, the various expressions on my face, the movement of my arms all work together to make an impression. If my body had been harmed by a serious accident or disease, my impression would be different. My appearance could foster compassion if I were restricted to a wheel chair or it could create unanswered questions if I were morbidly obese. Regardless, somehow my spirit gets out and through my body to others. And that of course is the determining factor. A person with an ugly or deformed body can seem beautiful to others, or a magnificent physical specimen could be repulsive if the spirit of the person is unseemly. The internal does affect the external and the external can change the internal.  “ A very ordinary manifestation of the relationship between internal and external is mentioned by Solomon. “ A glad heart makes a happy face, a broken heart crushes the spirit.”Proverbs 15:13 NLT  Does action that is against one’s natural desire create a new or different spirit in a person? Let’s say you have a strong dislike for a work associate, as a disciple of Christ you know that we are to love even our enemies, so showing kindness to a person who possibly has done us no harm can hardly meet that standard. It is just that we don’t like them, they have a tic,an irritating laugh, or they always butt in when you are talking. You are reflecting on or dreading the fact that you are about to be stuck with them in a car for four hours on an important business trip. How will you treat them?Would you consider asking God to give you a couple of ideas of how you might bless that person, help them in some way, even give them a gift? If your response is, “ No way, I can’t even ponder such nonsense,” I would suggest you are spiritually dull or deadened. I would further suggest that the way to create new vitality in your spirit is to dedicate yourself to loving that person until they get it that you love them. Isn’t this what Jesus meant when he taught us, “ You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say,love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.” Mt. 5:43-45 NLT Acting as a“ true child” of God is acting even when you don’t feel like acting. Abraham Heschel speaks frankly to this issue. “ The world needs more than the secret holiness of individual inwardness. It needs more that sacred sentiments and good intentions…… Man’s power of action is less vague than his power of intention. And as action of intrinsic meaning; its value to the world is independent of what it means to the person performing it. The act of giving food to a helpless child is meaningful regardless of whether or not the moral intention is present. God asks for the heart, and we must spell our answer in terms of deeds.” [1]A convicted felon serving a sentence of community service hands a bowl of soup to a hungry person, there is value in that regardless of the server’s motivation. And I would go further, compulsory kindness creates something positive in the server’s inner life, it changes them. [1] Job, Ruben,Shawchuck, Norm, A guide to prayer for ministers and other servants…… The upperroom, Nashville, page 133 ,1983