When Can Right Believing Still Fail?

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" James 2:17 NIV

How important is believing the right thing?

Very (!), considering that what we believe normally affects our lives. Take for example, the "Placebo effect" concept. It says that, if we believe we will receive positive benefits from a particular medicine, then most likely, that is how it will turn out for us. EVEN IF what we believed as beneficial medicine is nothing more than sugared water - something that has no medical qualities at all!

So it's vital that we believe the right thing. I'm all for it. Given a choice, I would rather believe the right thing rather than the wrong one, wouldn't you agree?

HOWEVER, is it possible to believe the right thing ... and ... still fail?

To answer that, let me tell a story which I heard many years ago. It's about a man who was rescued from the ocean. Apparently, he had been adrift at sea for many days. When he was spotted and brought aboard a ship, he was in very bad shape.

Although very weak, he was happy at being rescued. He kept smiling and telling anyone who cared to listen about his good fortune at being saved.

After the ship's doctor examined him, he told the captain that the man was suffering from extreme starvation. He needed to eat immediately. If he didn't eat within the next twenty minutes, he would die.

The captain instructed that a simple meal be brought to him at once. However, even though the food was brought to him, he was still chatting with everyone. The captain interrupted him and said, "Sir, we can talk later if you wish. But right now, you've got to eat. The doctor told me that if you've got to eat within the next ..." he looks at his watch "... uh, ten minutes ... that's right ... ten minutes have gone by since the doc said you needed to eat to survive."

"Yes ... yes ... thank you! Thank you! I believe if I eat this, I will not die but live!" He exclaimed. "Do you guys hear that? I really thank you for helping me! I thought I was a goner, but now I have another chance!"

"Sir!" The captain broke in, "You need to eat now. The doc said ...."

"Yes, yes! I know. If I eat this, I believe I'll live and not die. But I'm just so happy I need to tell all you guys. I had no one to talk to all those days at sea. So I just gotta tell you guys. But don't you worry, I'm gonna eat this. Know why? Cause I believe when I eat this, I'm gonna live!"

He just kept talking ... and the minutes kept ticking. The captain kept pleading. But the man just kept on and on. Finally, with a 2 seconds to go, the man said, "I believe that if I eat this, I will not ... not ... not ...." He falls down - dead!

Absurd story, right? Yeah, but it sure makes its point!

The guy believed right, that if he ate the food before him, he would not die but live. So why didn't he live?

Because He DIDN'T ACT ON THE TRUTH HE SAID HE BELIEVED!

Conviction without follow-up actions is meaningless and delusional.

To put a different spin on a movie director's mantra,

"LIGHTS!" - When you get a "light-bulb" moment.

"CAMERA!" - When you focus on the goal before you.

"ACTION!" - Go get 'em, tiger!

"The important thing is to dare to dream big, then take action to make it come true." Joe Girard

Cheers!
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