“Three frogs are sitting on a log. One of the frogs decides that he is going to jump off. How many frogs are left?” This was the opening line of a sermon I recently heard. The question, of course, is a riddle. It seems like the answer should be two, but because it’s a riddle that’s obviously going to be wrong. The right answer is three. Why? Because until the one frog actually jumps off, there are still three frogs on the log. A decision doesn’t mean it necessarily happens. A good example of this is the New Year’s resolutions people make every year and never keep!

The dynamic and influential civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr, is well-known for his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech. He dared to voice his dream for this nation to the nation!

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day my four little children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

But Martin Luther King, Jr. didn’t just dream about it. He did something! He strove to make his dream a reality. Decisions and dreams need to be followed up with action. The same is true of faith.

My daughter has a lovely picture with the framed words, Be Still. She also has a mug with those words on it as well. And on the other side of the mug is the Scripture, “Be still and know that I am God”. It’s a beautiful sentiment and a wonderful truth. But one day as I looked at those words, I thought to myself, “But God calls us to action, too!” To be still is to be calm and quiet, to be at peace, and to trust God. It’s a matter of the heart. The encouragement to be still is not an excuse to do nothing!

God wants us to be “doers”. Look at all these action words we find in the Bible: ask, seek and knock, go, pursue, stand, walk and run, work, fight and wrestle! Our faith should lead us to action. Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter. It lists many Old Testament “Heroes of Faith” and stresses not only their faith, but what they DID because of their faith. It is clear that faith without action is useless. Faith is not only trusting; it also involves obedience and commitment. The Bible puts it this way, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”-James 2:17(NIV)

I frequently make a “to do” list. There’s a sense of satisfaction when I am able to scratch a task off that list. But I must confess that some things stay on that list for a very, very long time. In fact, I end up rewriting it on my “to do” list week after week after week. My mother used to say, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions!” I don’t know about that, but I do know that putting a task on my list of things to do isn’t going to get it done. It’s going to take some effort and action on my part.

I am reminded of the quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, “It is better to light a single candle than to curse the darkness.” In other words, don’t just talk about a problem or an issue, do something! Because we live in a world full of darkness, we have an opportunity and an obligation to put our faith into action in an attempt to dispel some of that darkness.

Just as a decision or a dream demands effort, faith also requires action. In fact, faith is a call to action!

Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. –Martin Luther King, Jr.

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