“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 NIV
This opening chapter in the book of James is jam packed with solid and sound advice. There were many verses that I could have pulled out as standing out to me, but I chose this one because it reminded me that through our faith and knowledge of Christ, our lives should exhibit growth and change, and we should stand out from the world. We become doers of the word when we have been enlightened by its doctrines, awed by its threatenings, and encouraged by its promises.
James stresses the importance of an active faith and not living in hypocrisy – saying one thing and then doing another. It is through the aid of divine grace that we come to loving and obeying the word and it’s precepts; both those that encourage repentance towards God and those that counsel and direct our daily walk in order to please the Lord.
If our faith does not express itself in our daily walk, it is useless and dead. May we not be content in reading, hearing, and understanding the Word of God. But rather, may we do what it says.
Lock Your Wings 
“For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”
James 1:23-24 NLT
Interesting that this stood out for me too. Years ago at a women’s conference the speaker did a seminar on this passage. It’s not enough just to know what to do, we need to also do it. What value is it to ourselves or others to glance at the knowledge but fail to act on it?
LikeLike