Listening and Doing

Okay, well let's pick up where we left off yesterday with James. In the end part of James Chapter One it talks about listening and doing what you are told. It also talks about how listening is more important than talking.

James 1:19-20 - "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to beome angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires."

Now this is hard for me because I have a short temper if the truth be told and I tend to have diahrea of the mouth. I'm also pretty stubborn and sometimes I just don't want to listen to what you have to say. But I also have to point out that one is capable of having righteous anger - like Jesus tossing the temple tables. It is possible to have anger and not sin, but we should be slow to anger because you have to pick your battles and sometimes this just isn't the hill to die on.

So we should purge ourselves of the "moral filth and the evil that is so precalent and humble accept the word" because the word can save you. It's always there, it's always true and even though it's not always comforting (because sometimes it's convicting) but it's wise and always has the best advice.

James 1:22-25 - "Do not merely listen to the word, and so decieve yourselves. Do what it says. (23) Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man 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 the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does. "

I really think this scripture just speaks for itself and that my words are unnecessary. Listening is really important and then applying what you've listened to to your daily life is even more important. I kind of fail at this, but I'm getting better at it.

James 1:26 - "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

Religion that is of worth: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

This just gets harder and harder because our society is really everything we shouldn't be. Society is focused on obtaining money and sex, but really those things are not the most important things in life. Looking after orphans and widows is commemorable, but you have to be someone in a powerful position before people realize what you are doing - not that you should do things simply for recognition. God knows your heart and the reason you do things, you can't trick him like you can trick yourself. So double check your motives and see how you're really doing in your walk with God.