Tuesday the 22nd

James 1: 22

 

 ²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

 

The King James version urges us to be “doers” not just “hearers” What I find interesting is the Greek word used in the text is : poietes ( I had to leave of the accents because of  the different fonts); a performer; specifically a “poet”: - doer, poet. If you have ever been to a play, the ballet, a concert, any where that you are a spectator…or a hearer…..if you think about that, where is the action? On the stage. As you sit in the audience you have no control over the production, you are at the mercy of the performers, you go where they take you, you listen to what they say with no chance to change the dialog. Many of us treat our faith the same way. We make it to Church, we sit among the congregation, we don’t sing much, matter of fact we might find it hard to keep our eyes open, then we set out to finish out our Sunday, fishing, watching football, working in the yard…whatever the case may be. The one thing many of us don’t do is set out to get involved. All too often we don’t take the message into our hearts, we don’t let Gods Word creep in to our lives. Just like when you walk out of the concert hall, or the theater, you have heard, or seen a show, but it stops there. Yet that was not the intention, we are invited to be a performer, we are urged not to sit by and listen, but to jump onto this stage that God has given us, and live out His Word. We are called to take an active role in the greatest production that will ever be shown. TO sit by and just listen robs God of His glory, and it steals the chance for you to take control of the direction in which your part of the play will unfold. We lie to ourselves, and say we can’t make a difference, but God assures us that we can! We are called to action, not so much by rule, not so much by decree, but by love for our brothers and sisters, and thankfulness that Christ gave His life for us. We are given the opportunity to act so that the world might see that There is a way, there is a truth, and there is a light, there is hope, there is redemption, and there is salvation. People can’t see that when you are just sitting there listening, listen to the Word, then get up on that stage and let the world see God’s Word in action!

 

Lord bless,

Brian