Listen AND Do

Recently our writer team gathered at a local coffee shop.
Right in the middle of relating our “real-life” motherhood tales, my dear friend discovered a band-aid stuck to her shirt… we all fell into a fit of giggles.

The next week another friend was dropping off her sweet baby for a few hours and, after walking through the door, discovered her cardigan was inside out.

As for me— I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been out in public and caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror, revealing a sticker, booger, or unidentified food stain that one of my precious blessings left on me.

I’m sure you’ve gotten a good chuckle out of these stories— but wouldn’t it just be downright crazy if, after noticing one of these blemishes, we simply continued on without removing them?

I love the wealth of wisdom found in the book of James. In chapter 1, he stresses the importance of not only listening, but doing— and I love the comparison he uses:

“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 someone who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1: 22-24)

A mirror.

Mirrors show us a true picture of ourselves, revealing both beauty and blemishes (areas that need attention). The Word of God does likewise, except with the way we live and think.

The challenge James presents is this: We can sit around listening to sermons and reading our Bible all day long, allowing God to reveal the “boogers and band-aids” of our life— but if we never act on those revelations, we are only fooling ourselves.

In other words, if we read…

“Love your neighbor,” but we walk away and gossip;

“Be generous,” but we ignore God’s prompting to give or,

“Respect your husband,” but we pick up the phone to nag… again.

We are fools.

James continues, “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” (James 1:25)

Listening without doing is fruitless.
Listening plus doing is fruitful.

I don’t know about you-- but I want to live a blessed life.

As children of God we are expected to grow and mature, much like our own little ones. It’s a process of moving from hearing, to listening-- and from listening, to acting on what we’ve heard (obeying).

The next time you read God’s Word or hear a message that that tugs on your heart with that undeniable twinge of conviction-- act on it. Write it down. Make a plan. Call a faithful friend you know will hold you accountable to your intentions.

Let us be women after the heart of God, who not only take the time to look deep into the mirror of His Word, but also make the changes necessary to transform us more and more into His likeness.


Word of the Day:
“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 someone who looks at his face in a mirror  and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1: 22-24)

Prayer:
Father, So many times I read your Word and feel inspired or convicted, but never act on those feelings. Help me to go from being a listener to being a listener AND doer. Thank you for your wisdom as I learn to put your Words to action in my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.


Author: Katie Gibson

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