the shaping of things to come

Our team is reading a book called "The Shaping of Things to Come" by Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch. Okay, so everyone else is probably done but sorry Gary...I am not. However, I totally love everything that I'm reading in it! I don't necessarily agree with it all (although I do most of it), but I love what it makes me think about. For the past few nights I've been reading about action as sacrament, or a little more plainly how our actions are vital to our faith. This is what the authors say, "What we are trying to do here is affirm the inherent value of deeds themselves. Will they save us? No! Are they still inherently valuable? Absolutely, yes".
Here's my thought, our deeds might not save us, but they save other people. I'm not saying that I have the power to bring someone into a relationship with Jesus just by being nice to them, or that I get to decide who deserves that relationship. What I am saying though is this; if you know Jesus, how did that relationship start? Was it because someone took the initiative to teach your Sunday school class or even just be nice to you when no one else would? God works in mysterious ways and does not really need us to show Him to people, but it's pretty stinking clear that He chooses to use us because He wants to. I can think of countless stories in the Bible where someone found Jesus because a Christian listened to God when He said, "Hey, do or say this to that person in that chariot or sitting by the river". Good deeds are holy actions, and even though performing them does not save us they just might be the first step to God saving someone else. So please, do not be scared to do something nice for someone for a change!