Doers of the word - James 1: 22-25
Recently, I had the privilege of attending one of the best conferences. It was a joyful 4 days filled with fantastic fellowship and the Word of God. I have been encouraged, rebuked, and uplifted by the sermon sessions at the conference. Days have passed since the conference and I am still on a “spiritual high.” I just wish that I could mature instantly, and start living every single second of my life to the praise and glory of God. As beautiful a desire that may be, we know that is not how it works. One does not just mature by hearing the Word only, but by doing it and by living it out constantly and consistently. As I pen this down, it has not even been a full 2 days since I have come back from the conference, and yet, I can write a full 2 pages of all the things I have failed in, and have done wrong before God since my return.
God has used these failings to humbly remind me that, just hearing sermons alone is not enough to change my behaviour. I need to obey the Word and depend on the Holy Spirit as I do so.
It is true that God works through the preaching of His Word. However, merely hearing the Word alone is not enough, we need to be doers of the Word. “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)
Being a doer of the Word does not happen overnight, we need to be intentional in cultivating certain practices that will bring about change in our lives. Spiritual growth requires rigorous discipline. We cannot be those who pray earnestly for growth, yet sit and binge on every show ever released on Showmax. Discipline for the sake of spiritual growth, means we are to fix our minds, eyes and hearts on things that will produce godliness in our lives. The goal is to love God and live for Him. In order to love God, we need to know Him, and that means wholly devoting ourselves to daily studying His Word. A once-off conference is not enough to cause us to fully obey. In order for what we study to bring about change in our lives, we need to meditate upon it and pray. Not pray to change God’s will, but to seek His counsel so that we may grow in holiness, and be weaned from our love for pleasure. Our desire to be holy must be greater than our desire for comfort. If we truly desire growth and maturity in Christ; we will yield ourselves to Him, through the workings of His precious Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the One who initiates and enables growth in us. He helps us to understand the truths we find in Scripture. It is only through Him that we are able to put off the old self and walk in the new. Being a doer of the Word means we do not resist the Spirit’s convictions, instead, we allow Him to saturate us and control our thoughts, actions, and speech. He helps us to overcome evil desires and withstand temptation. Merely hearing the Word without total surrender to it, is futile. True transformation happens as we trust and obey the Word. Not only that but as we also trust that God is willing and committed to transforming us
During one of the sermons at the conference, the main speaker said, “The Bible does not expose our sin to condemn us, but to redeem us.” As we hear or read God’s Word, as it rebukes and challenges us to change certain habits, may there not be found any area of our lives in which we cannot yield to God. Instead, may we be found doing as He commands, may we be doers of the Word.
