James 1:22
“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
Woken by the alarm, we sit up on the edge of the bed. After a few moments, we make our way to the bathroom, look in the mirror, and are astonished by what we see. With our hair sticking up in every direction, sleep crust in our eyes, and bad breath, we begin to clean ourselves up in preparation for the day ahead. Once we are all put together, we take a look in the mirror, smile, and think to ourselves, “That’s who I remember. That’s what I look like.” Now imagine if, the moment we walked away, we forgot who we were.
That is the idea James portrays in his letter to the twelve tribes. He describes the deception that is so often found in the church. Many hear the Word week in and week out, but it never makes a practical impact on their lives because they refuse to live out their faith. It is as if they forget who they are the moment they walk out the doors of the church. They may behave like Christians on Sunday, but live like devils throughout the week. This should never be the case. The Word is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, revealing the true condition of our hearts and souls. We need the blood of Jesus to wash us clean and His Word to challenge our behavior. And when our behavior is challenged, we must be humble enough to receive God’s chastening so that He can produce Godly character within us.
We are new creatures in Christ Jesus, and this truth should be evident in every area of our lives. I urge you today to go beyond merely hearing His Word. Allow His Word to transform you as He renews your mind. Resist the enemy’s temptation to fall back into your old sins. As you endure life’s trials, let that endurance have its perfect work in you, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.