“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? James 2:14-16

What can I do?  This is often what we think when we hear of a terrible crisis that’s just happened.

One of our natural responses in times of crisis is to give–to take up a collection in the office or neighborhood to help those who need it most, in a concrete way.

Jesus was alarmingly, unexpectedly practical. He came to reveal the greatest spiritual truth, yet a lot of what He did was feed hungry people and heal sore bodies. Like Jesus, our response to people in crisis to be practical as well as spiritual. This is the Jesus Way.

James, the brother of Jesus, said that faith in Jesus must be lived. He wrote, “What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough (James 2:14-16).

The living faith James is talking about comes from obedience. One of the best tests of our obedience comes down to how we view and give money. Cheerful givers have eternal perspective, while understanding God’s heart of compassion for people’s practical needs. If you find yourself holding onto money like a lifeboat or constantly worrying over it, you can grow in this area. Asking God how He wants you to give will combat feelings of helplessness and apathy when you’re overwhelmed by the needs of the world.