Living What We Believe
Is your faith something you admire, or something that actually works?
Is it polished and visible on Sunday mornings, or proven in the everyday grind of real life?
Those questions sit at the heart of the book of James. James doesn’t allow faith to remain abstract or comfortable. He presses it into the dust of real decisions, real relationships, and real obedience. And in doing so, he asks a question that can be unsettling if we let it be honest: Does what I say I believe actually shape how I live?
Out here, we understand that talk only goes so far. You can admire a horse all day long in the corral. You can brush it, feed it, and tell stories about its pedigree. But none of that tells you what you really need to know. A horse’s true value isn’t proven until it’s under saddle, when weight is added, pressure is applied, and work begins. That is when you find out what’s real.
When we first moved here, Vic hadn’t been on a horse in nearly 20 years. He and his new horse, Cash, a former roping horse, had to learn each other and the job all over again. But after a month or so, Cash became Vic’s number one choice. They know what the other is thinking, and together they work cows and handle ranch tasks flawlessly. Watching them reminds me that just like a horse under saddle, faith shows its true value when it is tested, trained, and put to work.
James uses a similar measure for faith. Faith, he tells us, is not proven by words alone. It is revealed through action.
Faith That Shows Up
One of the most misunderstood tensions in Christianity is the relationship between faith and works. We often hear them spoken of as opposites, as if one cancels the other out. But James doesn’t frame them that way at all. Instead, he presents them as inseparable.
Faith is the root. Works are the fruit.
Works don’t earn salvation, but they do reveal whether faith is alive. A faith that never moves, never risks, never obeys is not the kind of faith Scripture celebrates. Real faith shows up. It changes the way we treat people. It alters how we respond when obedience costs us something. It reshapes priorities, habits, and reactions.
James is not interested in a faith that exists only in statements or slogans. He’s asking whether faith is visible when it matters, when no one is watching, when it’s inconvenient, or when it requires trust beyond understanding.
Faith Made Complete
To make his point, James points us to the story of Abraham. Abraham believed God. Scripture makes that clear. But James highlights a moment when belief moved into action, when Abraham obeyed God in the most costly way imaginable.
This was not blind ritual or empty performance. It was trust lived out. Abraham’s actions didn’t replace his faith; they completed it. His obedience demonstrated that his trust in God was real, resilient, and willing to surrender control.
I remember a time when I was asked to step in and help someone in a situation that felt uncomfortable and inconvenient. It required time, resources, and stepping outside my comfort zone. At first, I hesitated, questioning whether it was really worth it, or if someone else would handle it. But when I chose to act, I experienced firsthand how trust in God transforms fear into purpose. That one act of obedience strengthened my faith in ways I couldn’t have predicted, just as Abraham’s trust was completed through action.
And we need to be clear about this. Obedience does not earn God’s love. Grace always comes first. We don’t act so that God will accept us; we act because, in Christ, He already has. Faith under saddle is not about striving to prove ourselves worthy; it is about trusting God enough to follow Him when He calls.
Beyond Religious Activity
As we approach the Christmas season, this message becomes especially timely. December is full of activity, including services, traditions, familiar songs, and cherished rituals. None of those things are bad. In fact, they can be deeply meaningful.
But James pushes us to ask a deeper question. Is our faith alive beyond the calendar?
It’s possible to participate in religious activity without being transformed by it. It’s possible to celebrate the birth of Christ without allowing His life to shape our own. James challenges us not to confuse proximity to faith with possession of it.
Christianity is not primarily about what we attend or what we say. It is about who we are becoming.
The Evidence Test
Here's a sobering question. If you were indicted for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Not evidence of perfection, but evidence of transformation.
Is there evidence in how we forgive?
In how we speak?
In how we treat those who can’t repay us?
In how we respond when obedience costs us comfort or control?
Most of the time, faith under saddle doesn’t look dramatic. It looks like telling the truth when a lie would be easier. It looks like forgiving when resentment feels justified. It looks like giving when no one notices, serving when it’s inconvenient, and choosing kindness when frustration would feel earned. These moments may seem small, but over time they reveal what our faith is truly made of.
It’s worth slowing down long enough to ask ourselves:
The beauty of this synergy between faith and action is that, by God’s grace, each strengthens the other over time. The more we act on our faith, the more our faith grows. Every time we choose obedience over comfort, generosity over selfishness, love over indifference, our faith becomes more complete.
We all struggle at times with the strength of our faith. We wonder if we could pass the tests that others have faced. But here's the encouragement. God meets us where we are. Each act of obedience, however small, becomes a means God uses to build our faith for the next challenge. Each step of trust prepares us for a longer journey.
Living Under Saddle
So as we move through this Christmas season and into a new year, the question remains. How are you under saddle?
Your pedigree might be impressive. You might know all the right words, attend all the right services, maintain all the right traditions. But is your faith producing? Is it active? Is it alive?
Let your walk be ahead of your talk. Before you proclaim faith, live it. Let Christ's light shine through your actions, not just your words. Allow the synergy of faith and action to work in your life, making your faith complete.
Because authentic faith, the kind that saves, transforms, and endures, is faith under saddle. It's faith that works, moves, produces, and proves itself genuine through action.
That is the faith worth having. And by God’s grace, it’s the faith He is still forming in us, one step of obedience at a time.
Reflection & Prayer
Reflection: This week, ask yourself: Where is God inviting me to move my faith from words into action? What is one step I can take today to live the faith I claim?
Prayer: Lord, help my faith to be more than words. Strengthen me to follow You in every moment, to trust You even when obedience feels costly, and to live a faith that shines under saddle. Amen.
Is it polished and visible on Sunday mornings, or proven in the everyday grind of real life?
Those questions sit at the heart of the book of James. James doesn’t allow faith to remain abstract or comfortable. He presses it into the dust of real decisions, real relationships, and real obedience. And in doing so, he asks a question that can be unsettling if we let it be honest: Does what I say I believe actually shape how I live?
Out here, we understand that talk only goes so far. You can admire a horse all day long in the corral. You can brush it, feed it, and tell stories about its pedigree. But none of that tells you what you really need to know. A horse’s true value isn’t proven until it’s under saddle, when weight is added, pressure is applied, and work begins. That is when you find out what’s real.
Faith under saddle doesn’t mean flawless faith. It means faith that keeps showing up, even when it’s tested.
When we first moved here, Vic hadn’t been on a horse in nearly 20 years. He and his new horse, Cash, a former roping horse, had to learn each other and the job all over again. But after a month or so, Cash became Vic’s number one choice. They know what the other is thinking, and together they work cows and handle ranch tasks flawlessly. Watching them reminds me that just like a horse under saddle, faith shows its true value when it is tested, trained, and put to work.
James uses a similar measure for faith. Faith, he tells us, is not proven by words alone. It is revealed through action.
Faith That Shows Up
One of the most misunderstood tensions in Christianity is the relationship between faith and works. We often hear them spoken of as opposites, as if one cancels the other out. But James doesn’t frame them that way at all. Instead, he presents them as inseparable.
Faith is the root. Works are the fruit.
Works don’t earn salvation, but they do reveal whether faith is alive. A faith that never moves, never risks, never obeys is not the kind of faith Scripture celebrates. Real faith shows up. It changes the way we treat people. It alters how we respond when obedience costs us something. It reshapes priorities, habits, and reactions.
James is not interested in a faith that exists only in statements or slogans. He’s asking whether faith is visible when it matters, when no one is watching, when it’s inconvenient, or when it requires trust beyond understanding.
Faith Made Complete
To make his point, James points us to the story of Abraham. Abraham believed God. Scripture makes that clear. But James highlights a moment when belief moved into action, when Abraham obeyed God in the most costly way imaginable.
This was not blind ritual or empty performance. It was trust lived out. Abraham’s actions didn’t replace his faith; they completed it. His obedience demonstrated that his trust in God was real, resilient, and willing to surrender control.
Authentic faith doesn’t remain theoretical. It steps forward even when the outcome is uncertain.
I remember a time when I was asked to step in and help someone in a situation that felt uncomfortable and inconvenient. It required time, resources, and stepping outside my comfort zone. At first, I hesitated, questioning whether it was really worth it, or if someone else would handle it. But when I chose to act, I experienced firsthand how trust in God transforms fear into purpose. That one act of obedience strengthened my faith in ways I couldn’t have predicted, just as Abraham’s trust was completed through action.
And we need to be clear about this. Obedience does not earn God’s love. Grace always comes first. We don’t act so that God will accept us; we act because, in Christ, He already has. Faith under saddle is not about striving to prove ourselves worthy; it is about trusting God enough to follow Him when He calls.
Beyond Religious Activity
As we approach the Christmas season, this message becomes especially timely. December is full of activity, including services, traditions, familiar songs, and cherished rituals. None of those things are bad. In fact, they can be deeply meaningful.
But James pushes us to ask a deeper question. Is our faith alive beyond the calendar?
It’s possible to participate in religious activity without being transformed by it. It’s possible to celebrate the birth of Christ without allowing His life to shape our own. James challenges us not to confuse proximity to faith with possession of it.
Christianity is not primarily about what we attend or what we say. It is about who we are becoming.
The Evidence Test
Here's a sobering question. If you were indicted for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?
Not evidence of perfection, but evidence of transformation.
Is there evidence in how we forgive?
In how we speak?
In how we treat those who can’t repay us?
In how we respond when obedience costs us comfort or control?
Most of the time, faith under saddle doesn’t look dramatic. It looks like telling the truth when a lie would be easier. It looks like forgiving when resentment feels justified. It looks like giving when no one notices, serving when it’s inconvenient, and choosing kindness when frustration would feel earned. These moments may seem small, but over time they reveal what our faith is truly made of.
Before you proclaim faith, live it. Let Christ's light shine through your actions, not just your words.
It’s worth slowing down long enough to ask ourselves:
- Where is God inviting my faith to move from belief into action?
- What obedience have I been postponing because it feels uncomfortable or costly?
- If someone watched my life this week, what would they learn about what I truly trust?
The beauty of this synergy between faith and action is that, by God’s grace, each strengthens the other over time. The more we act on our faith, the more our faith grows. Every time we choose obedience over comfort, generosity over selfishness, love over indifference, our faith becomes more complete.
We all struggle at times with the strength of our faith. We wonder if we could pass the tests that others have faced. But here's the encouragement. God meets us where we are. Each act of obedience, however small, becomes a means God uses to build our faith for the next challenge. Each step of trust prepares us for a longer journey.
Living Under Saddle
So as we move through this Christmas season and into a new year, the question remains. How are you under saddle?
Your pedigree might be impressive. You might know all the right words, attend all the right services, maintain all the right traditions. But is your faith producing? Is it active? Is it alive?
Let your walk be ahead of your talk. Before you proclaim faith, live it. Let Christ's light shine through your actions, not just your words. Allow the synergy of faith and action to work in your life, making your faith complete.
Because authentic faith, the kind that saves, transforms, and endures, is faith under saddle. It's faith that works, moves, produces, and proves itself genuine through action.
That is the faith worth having. And by God’s grace, it’s the faith He is still forming in us, one step of obedience at a time.
Reflection & Prayer
Reflection: This week, ask yourself: Where is God inviting me to move my faith from words into action? What is one step I can take today to live the faith I claim?
Prayer: Lord, help my faith to be more than words. Strengthen me to follow You in every moment, to trust You even when obedience feels costly, and to live a faith that shines under saddle. Amen.
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