Doers, Not Hearers Only
- Bishop Keith Butler
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)
James gave us a very direct warning. It is possible to hear the Word of God, agree with it, and even know a great deal of it, yet never actually do what it says. James said that when that happens, we deceive ourselves.
Hearing the Word is important. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes from the Word of God. But God never intended for us to hear His Word just to collect information. The Word is given to change the way we think, the way we speak, the decisions we make, and the way we live.
There is a difference between knowing what the Bible says and living according to it. You can know the Bible tells you to forgive and still carry a grudge that's years old. You can know it tells you not to worry and still hand your whole day over to anxiety. You can know the Bible says to walk by faith and still make every decision based on what you can see and feel in the moment.
Knowing what you're supposed to do and actually doing it are two different things. That's the point Jesus made when He said the wise man isn't the one who hears His words; it’s the one who hears them and then goes and does them. The strength of that man's life was not simply that he heard the truth. He built his life upon it. When the storms came, what he had practiced became the foundation that held him steady.
The Word works when we work the Word. When God shows you something, act on it. When He tells you to forgive, forgive. When He tells you to give, give. When He tells you to pray, pray. When He tells you to change something, change it. Spiritual growth does not come merely from how much Word you have heard, but from how much of that Word you have allowed to govern your life.
Practical Application
Think of something God has already shown you in His Word that you have not yet acted on. Do something about it today. Do not wait for another message or confirmation. Take the Word you already have and obey it.
Matthew 7:24; John 13:17
