WEEK FOUR: IT’S ABOUT KINDNESS

The term “armchair quarterback” has become a regular part of our sports vernacular. It is defined as someone who offers opinions or criticisms on a situation they are not involved in, often from a place of comfort and without real-world experience or responsibility. It is also offered by someone not actively involved in the situation and based on what they see after the fact with the benefit of knowing the outcome. In other words, their advice isn’t based on personal game experience. They haven’t strapped on the pads, picked up the ball, swung the bat, or laced up a pair of cleats. They have learned by observation what to say, but they have not practiced or played.

Too many times, this concept of being an armchair quarterback has drifted into our churches. We know the right things to say, we know how to conduct ourselves, we’ve learned all the terminology, and we are more than willing to offer our opinions or criticisms, without taking any responsibility to be in the game.

In James 2:14-17 it states, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (NIV)

Faith without action is dead! If that is the case, it actually begs the question: if there are no actions attached to our faith, do we have any faith at all? Or at best, has the faith we had died? James then takes it a step farther: “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” James 2:18 (NIV) He basically says, you can have deeds without faith, but you cannot have faith without deeds to back it up. And those deeds are driven by conviction. A conviction that says not only that I can, but a conviction that says I must.

It’s time for us to take an assessment of our faith. So where are you on this spectrum? Are you an “armchair quarterback” when it comes to your faith, or are you actively in the game?  If not, are you willing to get off the sidelines and get your uniform dirty, or will you be content to sit by and watch? Remember, the world is watching…and it’s our actions, not our claims of love, that they need to see.