Hearing vs. Doing
There is a big difference between hearing the truth and living the truth. James warned us clearly when he wrote, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (James 1:22-25 ESV) This is quite a convicting passage, but conviction needs to move us to action.
In God’s Word, we see a tragic example of a man hearing the truth but ignoring it. In Mark 6:20 it says, “...Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.” Herod is somewhat surprisingly described in this passage as enjoying hearing John the Baptist’s preaching, respecting him, and even going out of his way to protect him. The problem was that he never applied the message of repentance that John preached and he continued to live in his sin. Ultimately, he contributed to John’s death just a few verses later, in Mark 6:21-27. What a quick shift he made from respecting and listening, to destroying him. This is the sad reality for those that hear truth, but do not apply it to their own lives. We need to get good at applying truth to the mundane details of our lives.
I appreciate the steps Christopher Ash recommends to become doers not just hearers (Christopher Ash, Listen Up):
After this week’s sermon, write down all the ways you wish that other people would obey that teaching. Don’t hold back. When you’ve written it all down, tear it up.
Now let’s get to business. Write down as definitely and precisely as you can some action you need to take to obey this week's Bible passage. It may be a change of attitude, or an alteration in the way you speak, or some action you need to stop doing, or start doing. Whatever it is, write it down and take steps to do something about it.
In a week’s time, and then a month’s time, look back at what you’ve written and ask yourself whether that Bible passage made any difference to you.
Pray, pray and pray again for God to work obedience in you to His Word.
I will add to this list, include others in your journey of application. It is one thing to set a personal goal; it is altogether another thing to share it with someone else. Accountability means that we take responsibility for our actions and share that responsibility with others. I love the way Dietrich Bonhoeffer puts it, “A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person. As long as I am by myself in the confession of my sins, everything remains in the clear, but in the presence of a brother, the sin has to be brought into the light.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together)
We need accountability to move from ideas into action – to become doers not hearers. Life is far too difficult and we are far too sinful to live in solitude. We need community. We need accountability. And God has anticipated our need by giving us the local church as the primary means of this accountability. That is how we become doers.
Expectantly,
Shawn
