Lately, I’ve been pondering on two stories Jesus told according to the Gospel of Luke. The first one is the parable of two builders and the second one is the parable of the sower. They’re both perfect for Lenten reflection. Jesus is asking “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? (Luke 6:46, NIV, emphasis added,*) You see, faith requires heads, hearts, and hands.

Faith is not just a belief system we embrace, right? It also involves trusting God. But it does not end there either. Faith also requires obedience, we also need to practice what we believe. And that’s what these two Bible stories both talk about.

We need to hear the words of Jesus and put them into practice in our everyday lives. Otherwise, our faith collapses underneath us when troubles come. We need to obediently keep on digging deep and keeping the foundation rock solid, so our houses will not get damaged in storms but have a solid foundation in Jesus.

Heads, hearts, and hands

It’s not only the times of trouble that threaten our faith. Also, riches and pleasures weaken our foundation. Our lives may be so full of entertainment and busyness there is no time left for God. Hence our foundation keeps eroding and our crop will be suffocating. And then we will not bring any fruit to maturity.

The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, but as they go on their way they are suffocated with the anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity. (Luke 8:14, AMP,*)

These last words jumped out to me. It does matter how we spend our lives. Not only for our sakes but also for the sake of others who could have been recipients of our spiritual fruit had it had a chance to mature.

What can we do then? We need to keep on weeding our lives of excess things, cling to Jesus, and follow him obediently. Faith is not only a set of beliefs or even just basic trust. It is also practice, obedience, and surrender. It sure does involve heads, hearts, and hands.

Gracious God,
Thank you for guiding us, calling us to you.
We surrender to you, we want to be all yours.
Show us what it means to truly live our lives with you.
We want to practice what we preach, walk the talk.
Help us to keep our foundation solid and soil free of thorns.
Bless us to bear fruit for you and guide us home to you.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you believe faith involves heads, hearts, and hands?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you follow Jesus closely!

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash.