19 My dear brothers and
sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to
speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does
not produce the righteousness that God desires.21 Therefore, get rid of all
moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word
planted in you, which can save you.
22 Do not merely listen
to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to
the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in
a mirror 24 and, after looking at
himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks
intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not
forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they
do.
26 Those who consider
themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive
themselves, and their religion is worthless.27 Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and
widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
- James 1:19-27
Stop talking!
Oh my goodness – this selection of verses is actually
highlighted in my Bible – which means, that at one time I was pretty sure that I
needed to remember this.
My daily devotional also highlights this selection and this is
what it has to say:
Ears are busy these days.
A listening, caring available ear is increasingly difficult to find.
Many seem permanently encased in the headphones of their own private
interests. Others are busy vying for
equal time with other parts of the body – such as an eye on the clock or a nose
to the grindstone.
Even a free ear isn’t necessarily free to just listen. When people come to us with their troubles,
many of us discover we have a birth defect; our earbone is connected to our
mouthbone. When patience, understanding and encouragement are most needed, we
give advice, platitudes and “My experience can top that” stories.
Thee burdened who come to us needing to unburden are looking for
an earbone connected to a heartbone.
It’s good to remember that “listen”
and “silent” are made of the same six letters.
What about the filth and evil? Look at
social media today, at all the ruckus that is raised every time something
happens in our world. Everyone has an
opinion, but how many of those opinions are based on Biblical truths? Everyone wants to be heard. Everyone wants to write something profound on
FaceBook or Twitter. Everyone wants to comment and have their voice to be
heard. It feels like so many people are
on edge right now. Slow down!! The anger of man do not help us
accomplish what God wants us to do! We
need to listen to the word of God, let it soak in. And then, be doers of the
word! If you are only listening, you are
deceiving yourself! You may know the
word inside and out, but what have you actually done? It is like looking in the mirror and
forgetting what you look like. Are we
going to church and hearing the word and then going out in the world and forgetting
every word we have heard?
When we act upon the word of God, that
is when we receive the blessings of God.
This is what God is trying to tell us – when we read or hear His word we
are blessed, but when we DO, the blessings are even more. We can take in every bit of information that
we are given, but what good will it do if we do nothing with what we are given?
If we are claiming religion but we are
doing the opposite of what His word says, then we the religion we claim is
worthless. Can we not care for people
that need us? True religion is not talking so much, but giving to others.
Hear the word. Let it soak in. Then go
do something.
Have a blessed day.
