Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
(James 1:21-25, NASB)
How many of us are guilty of being “hearers” but not “doers”? How many of us go to church on Sunday, listen to a wonderful message about being the light of Christ, and then just go about our weeks? Or a podcast about serving the less fortunate, and ignore the needs of those around us? Or read a passage about helping the widow and orphan, and hope someone else does the work?
You can’t see me, but my hand is raised …
I do try to live those “greatest commandments”: Love the Lord, heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others. I truly try to show love, kindness, patience, and gentleness. I want to “judge not.”
But I know I could do more to serve others as Christ did. I could figuratively (or perhaps literally) wash the feet of those around me. It’s funny, but I was thinking about this very thing this weekend. What in my own community could I be doing to help the “least of these”? I know there are prisons and shelters within just a few miles of where I live.
What more could I do? What more could you do?
Let’s be doers of God’s word. Let’s shine Christ’s light and be so sincerely caring of those around us that they’ll be attracted to our Lord
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