Having faith, beliefs, and
convictions is a great thing, but your life is measured by the actions
you take based upon them. You can build a great life around those
things you believe and have faith in. I’ve built mine around my belief
that I can inspire and bring hope to people facing challenges in their
lives. That belief is rooted in my faith in God. I have faith that He
put me on this earth to love, inspire, and encourage others and
especially to help all who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as their
Lord and Savior. I believe that I can never earn my way to heaven, and
by faith I accept the gift of the forgiveness of sins through Christ
Jesus. However, there’s so much more than just “getting in” through the
Pearly Gates. It is also about seeing others changed by the power of
His Holy Spirit, having a close relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout this life, and then being further rewarded in heaven.
Being born without arms and legs
was not God’s way of punishing me. I know that now. I have come to
realize that this “disability” would actually heighten my ability to
serve His purpose as a speaker and evangelist. You might be tempted to
think that I’m making a huge leap of faith to feel that way, since most
people consider my lack of limbs a huge handicap. Instead, God has
used my lack of limbs to draw people to me, especially others with
disabilities, so I can inspire and encourage them with my messages of
faith, hope, and love.
In the Bible, James said that
our actions, not our words, are the proof of our faith. He wrote in
James 2:18, “Now someone may argue, ‘Some people have faith; others
have good deeds.’ But I say, ‘How can you show me your faith if you
don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.’”
I’ve heard it said that our actions are to our faith and beliefs as our bodies are
to our spirits. Your body is the housing of your spirit, the evidence
of its existence. In the same way, your actions are the evidence of
your faith and beliefs. You have no doubt heard the term “walking the
talk.” Your family, friends, teachers, bosses, coworkers, customers,
and clients all expect you to act and live in alignment with the
beliefs and convictions that you claim to have. If you don’t, they will
call you out, won’t they?
Our peers judge us not by what
we say but by what we do. If you claim to be a good wife and mother,
then you sometimes will have to put your family’s interests above your
own. If you believe your purpose is to share your artistic talents with
the world, then you will be judged on the works you produce, not on
those you merely propose. You have to walk the talk; otherwise you have
no credibility with others—or with yourself—because you, too, should
demand that your actions match your words. If they don’t, you will
never live in harmony and fulfillment.
As a Christian, I believe the
final judge of how we’ve lived is God. The Bible teaches that His
judgment is based on our actions, not our words. Revelation 20:12 says,
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books
were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:
and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the
books, according to their works.” I act upon my beliefs by
traveling the world and encouraging people to love one another and to
love God. I am fulfilled in that purpose. I truly believe it is why I
was created. When you act upon your beliefs and put your faith into
action, you, too, will experience fulfillment. And please, do not be
discouraged if you aren’t always absolutely confident in your purpose
and how to act upon it. I have struggled. I still struggle. And so will
you. I fail and am far from perfect. But deeds are merely the
fruit—the result of the depth of a true conviction of the truth. Truth
is what sets us free, not purpose. I found my purpose because I was
looking for truth.
It is hard to find purpose or
good in difficult circumstances, but that is the journey. Why did it
have to be a journey? Why couldn’t a helicopter just pick you up and
carry you to the finish line? Because throughout the difficult times,
you will learn more, grow more in faith, love God more, and love your
neighbor more. It is the journey of faith that begins in love and ends
in love.
Frederick Douglass, the American
slave turned social activist, said, “If there is no struggle, there is
no progress.” Your character is formed by the challenges you face and
overcome. Your courage grows when you face your fears. Your strength
and your faith are built as they are tested in your life experiences.
Adapted from Unstoppable by Nick Vujicic with permission of WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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