This week I choose to ‘be’ a ‘doer’. Not in order for God to love me, but because He already does. Not in order for God to save me, but because He already has.
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Scripture
James 1:22-25
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 who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
Observation
Salvation comes through faith–but the book of James makes it clear that the follower of Christ cannot have a vague ‘feeling’ or ‘belief’ in absence of action, and still call it ‘faith’. Hearing truth and believing truth are essential…but they are useless unless also accompanied by ‘following’ what truth requires.
Application
Recently I’ve heard many Christian authors and speakers talking about the significance of ‘being’ versus ‘doing’. The idea seems to be that a person’s identity in absence of any action is the most significant thing about them. This thought is good…to a point. But this passage in James 1 commands a slightly different perspective–James says that we must understand our identity…but that we must then ‘be‘ a ‘doer‘. Our identity must include the fact that we follow what our Lord commands.
My relationship with God must start as belief–believing “that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). But once I believe on God, my faith MUST bring me to a place of ‘doing’ what He expects of me as He gives me the strength to do what He commands.
This week, I choose to ‘be’ a ‘doer’. Not in order for God to love me, but because He already does. Not in order for God to save me, but because He already has.
Prayer
God, thank you for loving and redeeming me! Thank you for forgiving me, though there’s nothing I could do to earn your forgiveness. Help me this week not to merely believe on you, but to respond with a heart of love and submission to your authority, which causes me to live out the things which please you.
Help me this week to be a doer of your word, and not just a hearer.
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