Not Just Hearing; Doing

Scripture:
"But prove yourselves doers of the Word and not merely hearers who delude themselves." James 1:22

Observation:
I still remember the night my moment came just like it was yesterday. I was working a weekend retreat for high school girls with a group of people. I was the middle of July in Mississippi. Man it was hot. We started on Thursday and ran through Sunday. Each day started at 5 in the morning and ended somewhere around midnight.

On Saturday night of that weekend we threw a surprise party for the girls. It was about 10:30 at night when my moment found me. I sat with my team of workers hiding in a dark cafeteria waiting on the girls to come into the room. My legs hurt. My feet were badly blistered. Pain from both of them made moving, sitting or resting extremely difficult. I looked around the room and a revelation hit me that nearly knocked me off my feet. In all the things that I had experience in my life up to that point; I had never felt more alive than I did that night. God had never felt more real. His Word had never made more sense. My heart had never felt more content. This was the moment that my life began to change. I had been a hearer of the word all my life. I went to church. I read good books. I studied the Bible. My ears were full and my mind was stuffed with knowledge, but never had put it into action. I returned home from that weekend realizing that I would never be the same.

Application:
I need to remember that night. The rhythm of daily life was a way of lull me into a trance. As that happens my life begins to revolve around conveniences and comfort. But convenience and comfort never seem to bring contentment. God's Word calls us into action. It asks us to keep moving. Keep serving. It asks us to not just attend church services or read good books. It asks us to not just try and be a good person. It asks us to live out the Word in our daily lives.

James 1:27 paints the clearest picture of what God expects our life to be, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." As much as we like to confuse the issue, God's expectations for us are really quite simple in theory. The application of these things are where it gets tricky. Following God requires service. Not just hearing; but doing.

Prayer:
I lose my joy during trials. They get the best of me at times. Frustration and irritation overtake my emotions and I begin to struggle with my flesh. Instead of building up my faith during hard times, I turn to things that should not be part of my life. I don't really seek you for wisdom, I just seek release. There are times that I even justify this sin thinking that it is Your way of allowing me some relief. I really need Your wisdom. Help me weather storms of life in a different manner and learn to allow them to draw me close to You.

In all of Your Word I can only think of a handful of verses that have the potential to be more impactful than James 1:19 & 27. I can only image how different my life would be if I learned how to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. If I focused my purpose in life to care for orphans, look after widows, and stay unstained by the world. These are simple commands that I can't do on my own. I pray that You begin a new movement in my life that leads me to make lasting changes in regards to hearing, speaking, temperament, and service.

As the history of my life is being written I pray that the finished story be of a man that was not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer. I pray that the people I come in contact with on a daily basis become part of Your story for my life. Continue Your good work in my life and increase my ability to impact others for Your Kingdom.