Once we are saved what does God want from us? For a long time I thought it was that we go to church, read the Bible and pray. Those are very good things and I practiced them religiously. However, I discovered over the years that no matter how much I went to church, read the Bible and prayed, nothing changed in my life. I formed many deep friendships in church, I knew the Word and I could pray my heart out at the drop of a hat, but outside of church very few people knew that I was a Christian. There was no fruit in my life, but I didn’t miss it because I thought I was growing. In truth, I was like the fig tree that Christ cursed because it did not produce fruit.

Then I read what Christ said in Matthew 5:16: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” My light was confined to church and no one ever praised God because of me. My life was like the popular jewelry that comes with the letters "WWJD" (What Would Jesus Do?). It is a clever phrase; unfortunately it is phrased as a question, as if it is an answer on an episode of Jeopardy. If you gave me a situation, I had studied the Bible enough that I could answer the WWJD question.

But it all ended with the answer. Knowing the answer does not change anything. If I wanted my light to shine I had to be more than a church-going, Bible-reading, praying Christian. I had to do something. WWJD needed to be replaced with DWJD (DO what Jesus would do).

That one thought changed my life. I no longer began to think “What would Jesus do?” I started to do what I thought Jesus would do. That is the command in James 1:22: “Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

This is not salvation by works. Works do not save, but no one gets saved unless someone works. God has entered into a partnership with us in which we are His workers. Our job is to go out into the fields to gather His harvest. If we don’t, not only will we miss the harvest, we will rot from inactivity.

I had to change. I started to work with the homeless, pray for the needs of others before my own, and give my time to God. I started to do things that were uncomfortable and to take risks. Something amazing happened. I started to produce fruit. When I was stuck in church mode, I never lead anyone to Christ. Now I see God change people’s lives all the time. I have become a church-going, Bible-reading, praying, risk-taking, field-working, action-oriented Christian. And do you know what? I am having more fun than I have ever had in my life.