When we lived in Sierra Leone, one of the things that was very different was living without electricity. The oddest thing was that the town we lived in had electrical lines; the infrastructure was there. We had fixtures and lights built into our house. Technically, we did have lights, even though they never shined. This helps me understand what James is talking about when he says, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”
It was rare in the town we lived in, but when the electricity came on, it empowered us to be able to do many good things. Picture your good deeds as lightbulbs shining. Jesus taught, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16, NKJV).
My prayer is that God would graciously empower us to shine with the love of Christ. In other words, it’s great to have the lights, but it’s really obvious and a blessing when they are powered on.