Doer? Listener? Both?

Good Morning,

James 1:22-25 (NIV)
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

We're all very familiar with verse 22 of this short section of Scripture, I'm sure. I know that I've written on this theme more than a few times and I've read other messages, and heard sermons preached, on many occasions. But today when I went to look at this once again, what I came away with was where James writes, "...(he) goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." For whatever reason these words caused me to pause and really think about what they say. As I thought about it, I remembered so many times when I've sort of done exactly what these words portray. It's probably happened to you, as well, if you'll be honest and think about it.

You see, if...when...I even think about what I might look like, it doesn't matter whether or not I've just looked into a mirror or if it's been hours since that happened. It doesn't make any difference because I don't see myself as I am, as I was when I looked at my image in the mirror, I most often see myself as I once was...young, dark hair, in pretty good shape...not as I am now.

So, how does this relate to the theme of these verses? Because, much too often, we don't see what we're actually doing NOW when we think about ourselves...maybe being listeners instead of doers..., but we DO remember times when we were active DOERS and not merely LISTENERS to what God had written in the Bible and what He gives people to preach and write. It's so easy to be like the one who sees what he or she wants to see, that image that is no longer real, but it's much more difficult to see the truth revealed if it's not so attractive any more.

We go on to read that there is great reward if we will..."look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does." The reward, of course, is the blessing(s) promised by doing what it is God wants us to do as is written and preached and taught.

I guess we all need to have this reminder presented to us from time to time. We are all probably guilty, at least a little bit, of failing in this area...the doing and not just listening...of our lives. (I almost just wrote "in our Christian lives" but then realized that every moment we live is our Christian life. There's not difference where or when we are, we're still Christian!)

So, today we are reminded.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David