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"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 observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."
*** James 1:22-25 ***
Think about the last sermon you heard that really affected you. Chances are, there was a lot of head nodding (and depending on what kind of church you attend, maybe a few Amen!s thrown in there). I think that most of us who regularly attend church can recall a time where the preacher's words hit home, and nodding our heads thinking "mmhmm...exactly... I need to work on that!"
Now I've got a question for you... how many of you can recall a time where you actually DID something with that message after you left church for the morning? Hmm... after the family brunch/football game/afternoon nap, that sermon may seem like a distant memory that is all too easy to push to the back of your mind. Example: In November, a pastor from our church who doesn't usually preach on Sundays gave this AMAZING sermon. I raved to everyone I knew that it was the best sermon I'd heard in years! But now that I'm thinking about it... I can't for the life of me tell you what it was about. Whoops. Note to self: look up Pastor Jim's sermon recording on church website!
Many Christians, myself included, have a problem with PRACTICAL APPLICATION. We attend church, we hear and read God's Word, we believe it and are moved by it, but somehow we skip the connection where it actually affects our lives. It doesn't always change us! James compares this to looking in the mirror: "he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was". I think what he's getting at here is, it's easy to walk away from our sin when it's no longer staring us in the face. However, notice that James doesn't say, "he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and agrees with it", or "he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and is touched by it"... James promises that "he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it" will be blessed. The application, the "doing" is the key: He will bless us if we not only agree with but also live out His Word.
When you go to church or read your Bible, ask yourself: how can I apply this to my life? What changes can I make to live out God's Word?
