James 1:19-25

Listen Carefully, Then Do It

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22

As part of a class exercise, the other participants and I held mirrors to our faces and stared at our reflections for what seemed to be a long time. Something the leader had said put me on the verge of tears. To my amazement, my face turned red even though no tears were falling. A short time later, I watched a TV show set in Ireland, and one of the characters did the same thing. No tears were falling, but the redness of his face revealed his discomfort. A flushed face seems to be a genetic-related issue for blue-eyed blondes and other fair-complexioned people.

I thought of my class experience  as I read James 1:19-25: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like (vv. 23-24). I haven’t forgotten what I saw in the mirror, probably because now I know I can’t hide my feelings.

James compared looking into a mirror and looking intently into the Word of God. Both reveal information we may not want to know about ourselves. Moreover, we shouldn’t merely read it—we also need to accept it. What we hear from God’s Word should be planted in our hearts. As we look intently and humbly—digging deeper—we’ll see ourselves in the imperfect lives portrayed in Scripture. We’ll see our motives, desires, and secret thoughts reflected in theirs. Ouch! We’ll be thankful God extended grace to them and to us.

To receive grace, we must avoid the obstacles James mentions. For example, if we are quick to become angry or if we are deceived by inaccurate memories, the Holy Spirit cannot produce God’s righteousness in us.

God’s perfect law gives freedom, which sounds like an oxymoron. But studying the perfect law sets us free if we continue in it—not forgetting what we’ve heard—but doing it. What’s more, we’ll be blessed as we do it, as it becomes our way of life.

What are you hearing? What are you doing about it?

DIG DEEPER:

Read James 1:19-25. What else do we need to get rid of in order to hear better? Don’t be too quick to say you have none of these things in your life. Ask the Spirit to reveal them to you.

James says we should be “slow to speak.” See also Proverbs 10:19-21. How can you use your words to benefit others?

What did Jesus say about hearing and doing in Luke 6:46-49? How can you improve your hearing? What is God telling you to do?

Nancy J. Baker

This devotion is part of a series on the Book of James.