How to Know If You're On the Right Track

 

“Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.”James 2:26 (NLT)

by Alexandra Copeland

Many of us are praying for a specific request that is very meaningful to us. We’ve reached a place in our spiritual walk where we realize that we need something more to feel good and fulfilled. Whether it is a sweeter relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ, a better relationship with our spouse, greater financial abundance, or better health; we recognize that there’s something missing in our existences. In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul wrote in Corinthians 3:5 (KJV), “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God.” The longer we live, the more we realize that we are weak and useless without Christ. We are not sufficient of ourselves, so it is a glorious realization to know that Heavenly Father is our sufficiency, and we can come to Him with any desire on our hearts. 

Many people operate by a principle of wanting what they want, when they want it. They set out to acquire a thing, and sometimes receiving it ends up being disastrous for them. They end up on the wrong track, one that leads them away from their call and purpose. This is why it is important to receive a green light from Heavenly Father before we proceed with anything. In 1Corinthians 14:40 (KJV), God tells us through the Apostle Paul, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” This is how God does things. Everything that He does is done in decency and order. This means that He blesses us at a time and place that is optimum for His divine Will; and therefore, optimum for us as well. 

God considers all factors and details; those that are impossible for us to see and know. He considers the well-being of every person that will be impacted and affected by the blessing we receive. We might not think of it in those terms, but we know oh too well that we have a tendency for being a little selfish from time to time. Generally, we hardly ever think about the domino effect of change that occurs when we take possession of something greater or new. It always affects more people than we will ever know. 

To demonstrate this, examine the promise God made to David in 1Kings 2:3-4 (NLT). David was advising his young son, Solomon, who was next in line to be king of the Children of Israel. He said “3Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. 4 If you do this, then the LORD will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’”

This is an example of the faithfulness of God. It also demonstrates the enduring and positive effect of obedience to God. If the Children of Israel remained faithful to God’s decrees, commands, regulations, and laws, He promised that they would be successful in all their endeavors, and He would bless them wherever they went. Talk about a domino effect; this is it! The obedience of the present generation solidified the blessing of the future generation if they remained obedient to God’s Word. 

The positive benefit is clearly seen here, but it can work equally the same on the negative side. God is in the blessing business. He’s the One to do the blessing. We’re on the receiving side of it. So, it’s logical that there’s a right way to stay on the right track to optimum results; and it is the way of faith.

It doesn’t matter what our circumstances and conditions look like, when we pray for something, as soon as we pray, it is on the way to us. Begging and pining isn’t required, but our faith is certainly a must. And not just our faith is required. James 2:26 (NLT) tells us, “Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.” This piece of yummy deliciousness lets us know some very important information about faith, wouldn’t you agree? The first is that the two ingredients, faith and good works, go hand in hand. They are both essential to move ourselves on a forward and upward trajectory. 

Faith is useless without something to back it up, and that ‘something’ is good works. Many of us operate by focusing on one and not the other, or we place too much emphasis on one and not enough on the other. When this happens, life can feel a little bit like a washing machine. We’re being tossed about and stretched because our level of love has not yet expanded to the level of the blessing we’ve prayed to receive. 

This might also feel a bit like you’re on the wrong track, or like the blessing you desire isn’t going to come into fruition. The truth is that it needs a little more baking time. God has heard your prayers. He knows when to bless you, where to bless you, and how to bless you. On this you can depend. Your number one occupation should be to keep your believing on the right track by backing your faith with good works. 

The Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, and in 1Thessalonicans 3:5 (NLT), he informed them, “That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless.”  Paul let them know that our faith will be tempted and tested by the devil. The enemy’s aim is to get us discouraged and down-trodden in an effort to keep us from carrying forth the good works of Jesus Christ. This is how he keeps our faith from receiving the fuel it needs.

When its backed with good works, the engine of our faith will keep going and going and going; until it achieves what we’ve willed it to manifest. On the flip side, when negativity and doubt get in the way, and we begin to have an attitude that runs counter to God’s love, we will find ourselves in a lane of ungratefulness. It isn’t that God is withholding our blessings. It is our refusal to expand in every way according to the love of Jesus Christ. 

All of us should build and increase our expectations regarding God’s provisions and love, but we must never take our eyes off of His desire that we also grow spiritually, build our faith, and stretch forth in the work that He has called us to do. When we keep our engines fueled and incline our ears to Heavenly Father, He will make sure that we stay on the right track. Just like the promise He made to David, when we listen to His Words and obey, He will cause us to be successful and bless us wherever we go. ■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.