James 1:19-27
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. (James 1:22)
More than twenty years ago, the Nike shoe company adopted the advertising slogan “Just Do It.” The implication of the words was to do more than just think or talk about playing sports or getting fit. Get out there and actually do it. The ad campaign worked. Millions of Nike shoes were sold, as people committed to following through with physical fitness.
Living a victorious Christian life requires follow through, too. When James wrote to the early church, he admonished them to do more than listen to God’s Word. He told them to put what they heard into practice. James likened not doing what the Word says to looking at your face in the mirror and then walking away and immediately forgetting what you look like (vv. 23–24).
Daily Bible reading is a crucial step toward Christian maturity. But we must be careful not to make it just one more thing to check off our “to do” list. It would be better to read one verse and meditate on it throughout the day, absorbing its content and allowing it to change our lives, than to read an entire chapter, only to forget what it says. God’s Word, made alive by God’s Spirit within us, is what we need to live a faithful Christian life. When we commit to living what we learn, the Holy Spirit empowers us to just do it.
Consider whether you are acting on what you know from God’s Word.
Nancy Reinke lives in the Rockies with her artist husband. She enjoys writing, hiking, and encouraging others.
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