Being a doer of the Word
The book of James is awesome. It totally hits me where I live. Don’t just hear God’s word – do it!
I am still in the process of cleaning out my office, garage, kids’ closets, and eventually, I’ll get to the attic. I have a confession: there are a lot of unfinished projects at my house. And I have another confession: it’s easier to think of a new project and start that one than to look around my house and finish what I’ve already started…
James says, it’s kind of like that with truth. We don’t need to go looking for new truth! If we would just start to put into practice all God has told us up until now, it would keep us busy until He returns.
For some, there’s a rush in acquiring new knowledge. But James is clear: knowledge is useless unless we put that knowledge to work in our lives. There’s pride involved in chasing down the best teaching out there… God isn’t interested in how much we know, He’s interested in how well we love.
So like the unfinished projects in my house, instead of looking for the next new thing, I need to take the truth I know – the things God has spoken to my heart – and put them into practice.
"But we can't model perfection, because we're not perfect; we can only model growth. The people around us need to know that we are real people in the process of maturing. They need to see how we handle failure as well as how we handle success."
ReplyDeleteI found this part of Neil's devotional very powerful. I think that at times, as christians who rub elbows with non-christians in our every day work environment, we are tempted to play to the model we think our co-workers have of us as christians. I know I have been guilty of that in the past.
In more recent years, I have found just how refreshing and freeing it is to live my faith out before my co workers in a very real way, free from pretending that I've got it all squared away. It is pretty cool to invite a friend who doesn't know the Lord into your life to see you live out your faith at the point where "the rubber meets the road" (One of my favorite sayings!).
Having kids has really driven this home for me. As their model, I want them to be able to see how their faith impacts, permeates and fills every part of their life, from the seemingly mundane to the highest pinnacle.
Lord, as I move through this day, allow me to not forget that the only difference between me and those around me is your grace. Holy Spirit, to the extent that I may be tempted to protray anything other than the SWAT cop saved by grace that I am, quickly point that out to me so that I would not get in the way of the work you are doing in others. Amen.
Lord help me know that I am not perfect. Instead let me model growth because I cannot model perfection. And while I have a long way to grow, let me love instead of striving for perfection.
ReplyDelete1 Peter 4:8
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
"The people around us need to know that we are real people in the process of maturing. They need to see how we handle failure as well as how we handle success."
ReplyDeleteI want to be a maturing believer whose actions speak louder than words. That is why I need to be in God's word daily--how can I put something in to practice if I am not reading it?? I agree with Johnny--we are sinners saved by grace, and we need to show our fellow sinners that we passionately love and pursue God even when we are imperfect and mess up.