Listening Is Not Enough

"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." - James 1:22-25

My wife and I spent the weekend in East Texas visiting our 3 granddaughters, their husbands and their children - our great grandchildren - at least some of them. We have eight grandchildren and eleven great grand children and saw 3 and 5, respectfully, this weekend.

We were so blessed to see all of them. Watching the dynamics of the parents and children, I was reminded of why parents should have children when they are young - Abraham and Sarah must have had a time of it! But I was also reminded of James 1:22-25.  The parents were even tempered, at least while we were there ;)  The children listened to their parents - but very often did not heed their words. They would go right back to what they had been doing before their parents spoke to them. It was not that they did not understand what they were told - they just didn't always do what they were told to do. And that reminded me of James 1:22-25.

As Christians - or as children of God - we are told by our Father how we should behave - what we should do. We hear the Word preached - we read the Word in the Bible, but like the man looking in the mirror or our great grandchildren - we see to immediately forget what we heard or read.

We are hearers and readers only. Forgetting that the "doer" will be blessed in the doing or in their obedience. 

"And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams." - 1 Samuel 15:22

"For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I [King David] would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." - Psalm 51:6-17

"Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great." - Luke 6:46-49

The inescapable conclusion is that if you fail to do but merely listen the problem is that you don't love God enough. Now we don't want to hear that for certain. But the fact of the matter is that we have not yielded our hearts fully to God and want to do what we want to do. Just like our great grand children.  

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory.

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone