Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. (James 1:22)
Expanded Passage: James 1:22
Most of us have experienced being in art class, with an art teacher describing the steps for creating a specific project. It’s important to listen to the art teacher’s instructions, because these projects often require the use of hot glue guns, irons, various paints, or needles and thread to create something unique and beautiful. Students who listened but do not do what the teacher says usually encounter problems. Their project does not turn out the way they hoped it would, simply because they did not do what the teacher said.
Reading God’s Word is a two-step process—requiring both listening and doing. The Word is like the art teacher—offering guidance and wisdom needed for life in the Spirit. There are instructions, warnings, and invitations for us to become more fully the person God created us to be, but if we do not apply and do what it says, our outcome (like many of my art projects) will be incomplete.
Many of us spend much more time reading the Scripture than applying it to the habits of our everyday life. Yet God would prefer Christians who read and live one page of Scripture to those who read the whole Bible and practice none. So as you listen and read the Word, be sure to reflect on the ways to apply it to your life.
When reading the Word, take time to both listen and do.
Sarah Linder is a lay minister for congregational care at College Wesleyan Church (IN) and a stay-at-home mom of three boys.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
