4 Steps to Victory In God's Grace Part 4: Be a Doer
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Scripture Readings: James 1:22-25, John 4 1-42
Throughout our lives, we participate in a lot of things. We went to school to gain an education. Some of us run endurance races to earn a medal. Others have played in sports with hopes of winning games and getting better at the game. The one thing all of these activities have in common is that something has to be done to achieve the end goal. You had to study to pass your classes and earn good grades. If you run a race, you must practice running to build endurance. If you play a sport such as hockey, you must practice skating drills, stickhandling, and much more to improve.
All of these things are great, but what if we studied hard but didn't go to class? What if we poured in hours of running time but never entered a marathon? What if we possessed incredible hockey talent, but never played a single game? Well, all of that knowledge would go to waste. James 1:22-24 says But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. These verses of scripture are simple to understand. As believers, we must receive the word with a teachable spirit and put it into practice. We are only deceiving ourselves if we hear and do not obey.
God is speaking to you through his word and yes we must read God’s word, but it's also just as important to put those words into practice and apply them to our lives. As I read the beginning of John 4 - the story of the Samaritan woman, was that at first she viewed Jesus as a Jew, second, as a prophet, and lastly as the Messiah. She gained an understanding that Jesus WAS the coming Messiah. But, she didn't stop there. It says in John 4 verse The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ? She went out and spread the Gospel to all the people in Samaria.
My question is, what if she just heard what Jesus said, but didn’t act by going back to town to tell everyone about Jesus? Well, if she didn’t go tell everyone in town we wouldn’t have verse 4:39-42 in John which says, And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his own word; And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. People got Saved! If she wasn't a Doer, like it says in the text, many wouldn't have believed on him and known Christ as their savior.
The bottom line is that, as believers, we need to practice James 1:22 daily. We need to be a Doer and not just a hearer. Read your bible daily and put it into practice. Are you being a doer by sharing the gospel with those closest to you? Are you being a doer by being kind to one another and forgiving others as Christ Did for you? Are you serving in your local New Testament church and meeting the needs there? Like i said, it's important to read God’s word, but what's the point if we're not serving him through His word? I challenge you to find a way to serve him today. Whether it's mustering up the strength to witness to someone you have been praying for or meeting a need for someone less fortunate, be a blessing and an encouragement today. Dwell on James 1: 22 through 25 and don’t just hear what God says but DO what God says.
God Bless!