Application
Ron Wolfley
Highlands Elder
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-25)
We can read God's Word, we can hear God's Word, we can know God's Word but unless we live God's Word, putting our faith into action, we are merely checking boxes.
My old football coach used to say, "You can draw all the X's and O's up on that board you want, you can design the perfect play, but when those X's and O's start breathing and taking the garbage out to the curb every Tuesday, you got a whole new set of problems."
It's one thing to know something and quite another to do something correctly.
James reminds us of this truth in our walk with Jesus. He reminds us to not be like the man or woman who looks at themselves in a mirror and walks away and forgets what he/she was like. How do we live our lives? Do we walk away from that mirror, walk away from God's Word and forget what it says, forget who we are and forget who we belong to? Or even worse, remember God’s Word and not DO what it says? Do we disobey God’s Word? James encourages us to look into God’s Word, apply it to our lives, and be God’s Word by doing.
What you say and what you do is who you are. How else could anyone perceive your person and your meaning? What do we say during our days? What comes out of our mouth? What do we laugh at or not laugh at? What do we do during our days? What do we allow to rival our faith in Jesus Christ? How do we apply God’s Word to living? What do we do and what do we say?
Sometimes, when watching tape of a football game I played in, my coach would put the red dot on me on the screen and say, “I see the what but I want to know the why. Why would you do this?”
Knowing our why is critical to doing God’s Word. Not only is our why important to God, who looks on the inside of man, but our why will help us DO through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, "If you love me you will obey my commands."
Love should be our motivation. Love for God and love for people should compel us forward as we walk away from that mirror. Are we checking boxes in our walk with Jesus Christ or are we compelled by God's love for us, compelled by the gospel, compelled by the Savior's love for us to obey His commands?
The fruit of the spirit starts with love and ends in self-control. Once we understand our why, acting on our faith becomes an exercise in being and not just doing?
Knowing our why will help us do.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for Your Word. Thank you for the wisdom and the life you provide us through Your words. Help me to remember what Your Word says; help me to do what Your Word says; help me to be what Your Word says. Help me to apply it to my life and change my life. Amen.