Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
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.
James 1:22-25
If you want to totally change the way you read the Bible, look at how many times Scripture includes a conditional promise.
By that I mean, “if” we do something, “then” God will bless us.
Start reading through the Bible with that lens and you’ll notice it over and over and over again.
It’s very important we do this because if there are good things God wants to do in our lives, but we need to fulfill our end of the conditional promise, it would be a shame to miss out on them.
Here in the book of James, we find one of those promises.
In Chapter 1, toward the very beginning of the book, the Holy Spirit doesn’t mince words. He tells us plainly: If you want to be blessed in what you do, don’t just listen to the word, do what it says.
If we’re honest, most of us are better listeners than doers. We show up on Sunday. We read our Bibles during the week. We nod along to sermons and podcasts. We read the Focus on Faith devotional when it lands in our inbox. And we walk away thinking we’ve done something.
But James says we’re fooling ourselves if we think hearing is the same as doing. Don’t merely listen to the word, do what it says.
In verse 25, he calls us to two specific steps of action. And I don’t know which one you need to be challenged with today—maybe both.
But take a look at them. First, he says we should “look intently into the perfect law that gives freedom.” This makes sense. We can’t do the word, unless we know what it is.
But this requires time. Meditation. Discipline. Actually opening the Word and sitting with it long enough to hear what God might be saying. Not rushing through a chapter to check a box, but looking intently into it. Through it, we learn to hear the voice of God in our lives directing our path.
And then, step two: we actually do what it says.
We forgive the person who wronged us. We give generously and with a cheerful heart. We speak words of kindness. We focus on what is true, noble, right, and pure. We say no to the sin we’ve been entertaining. We love our neighbor. We trust God with our future.
And then comes the promise: When we do both, we will be blessed in what we do.
Not blessed in our hearing. Blessed in our doing.
This is how we are sure to not miss God’s blessing in our lives.
And I don’t want any of us to miss out on that.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me a heart that doesn’t just hear Your word but does what it says. Speak to me however You need to do so today. My heart and passion are for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.