Doers, Not Hearers Only

{{via}}

"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?

Start Marriage Right - The Newlywed Learning Curve

Mom and I were lounging in her sunroom one afternoon, discussing my impending engagement to my now-husband. At the time, I was blinded by rainbows and butterflies... remember that "ignorance is bliss" phase, newlyweds?!

My husband and I had a few laughs on the drive home about how nobody understood our relationship, how perfect we were for each other, and how the phrase “marriage is hard work” didn’t apply to us. We were in the type of relationship that others only dreamt of, and our marriage was going to be so easy...

BOY, were we in for a learning curve!!!

Read more about the lessons we're learning at START MARRIAGE RIGHT!

Faithful Friday {The Source of Temptation}

Each and every one of us face temptation in our daily lives:

tempted to be lazy

tempted to get angry

tempted to lust after someone

tempted to lie

tempted to be selfish

tempted to put life before God

tempted to judge

tempted not to take care of yourself

Feeling convicted yet? I know I am!

Sometimes I get irritated with God when I'm having trouble with a particular temptation. The conversation goes something like this:

God, why are You putting me through this?! I'm trying to grow as a Christian and now You throw THIS in front of me? I'm not strong enough to resist it! YOU KNOW I'M NOT! Can't You just make it stop?

...and when, predictably, I give into the temptation:

I'm sorry God, I really am. I didn't MEAN to do/think/feel/act ___, but I told You! I can't handle it! I asked You to take it away and You didn't. What else did You expect?

I fall into a cycle, alternating between begging God to shield me from temptation and justifying it when I don't resist. However, when I complain to God this way I'm making a fundamental error: HE is not the one who tempts me! Satan is!

James writes,

"Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed."
{James 1:12-14 NKJV}

God doesn't tempt us - He just allows us to be tempted. That's part of the whole "free will" thing He gave us! He knows that we ALL have a human desire to sin, and He knows that we will fall sometimes!

God does not expect for us to be perfect. All He truly wants is for us to seek Him in the face of temptation, try our best to resist it - with His help! - to truthfully confess our sins when we give into temptation, and to ask for His mercy and forgiveness - which He freely offers to all who believe in Him.