James 1:22-25

Passage

Become a doer of the Word and not only a hearer who deceives himself through faulty reasoning.  Because, if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer then such a man is like one who stares at the existence of his face in a mirror.  For he stares at himself and goes away and immediately forgets of what kind he is.  But the one who stops to look into the perfect Law – the one of freedom – and remains – not a hearer while being forgetful but a doer of works – this one will be blessed in his doing.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

James now begins his discourse on the importance of doing.  Yesterday we focused on the importance of being quick to hear.  But it is not enough just to hear.  We must act upon what we hear.  After all, what is really the point of listening if we aren’t actually going to do anything about what we are hearing?  God doesn’t speak to us so that we can get an ego about actually hearing from God.  God speaks to us so that we can do!

Why is it easy to fall into the trap of thinking that learning and studying is the end of faithfulness to God?  Why is it easy to get sucked into the thinking that those who know the most about God’s Word are at the pinnacle of faith?  Who do you think is better – someone who knows the most about the Bible or someone who puts to practice whatever they do know?

Second Thought:

James says that the person who hears but doesn’t do anything is like a person who goes and looks in a mirror but forgets who he is as soon as he leaves the mirror.  A person who is a hearer and not a doer is a like the person who goes to church on Sunday but never puts faith into practice.  Such a person hears God’s Word but never realizes how to apply it to their life.  Hearing and listening is not an end.  We hear and listen so that we can apply and do!

When have you heard and did nothing?  When have you simply gone through the motions with God yet had none of it actually impact your life?  How does it feel in the end to be a hearer only and not a doer?

Third Thought:

Then James speaks about the doer.  The doer is blessing in his doing.  James isn’t talking about works based salvation here.  James is not saying we are saved because we do.  Rather, James is saying that we are blessed by what we do.  When we actually put faith into practice we are changed.  We live out our faith.  We actually do something about who we are as people and who God wants us to be.  The doer hears God’s voice and learns what it actually means to follow!

When have you been a doer and nit just a hearer?  How does this feel?  What blessings have you received by being both a hearer and a doer?

Passage for Tomorrow: James 1:26-27