LISTEN AND DO!

James 1:19-27 / Keywords 1:22

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

 

1:19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

 

1. In the era of social media, it is very easy for people to be slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry. But James urges us to do the opposite: be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Quick anger doesn’t produce the kind of righteousness in us that God is seeking. How can we be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger? By repenting of all our moral filth and coming to God humbly and accepting his word.

2. But we should not just listen to the word of God. We should also do what it says! When we just listen to the word but do not obey, we are like a person who looks at themselves in a mirror and then immediately forgets what they saw. It’s a waste of time and a waste of good glass. But those who look carefully at the word of God, and obey it, they will be truly blessed in what they do.

3. Do we consider ourselves religious? Then we should keep a tight rein on our tongues. Otherwise, our religion is worthless. Our relationship with Jesus Christ should change us. It should bring us to control our tongues, to look after widows and orphans, and to keep ourselves from being polluted by this world.

Prayer Father, help me not to just listen and read your word, but to put it into practice in all that I do.

One Word Listen to God’s word and obey