Be a Doer.

     

      A lot of things in James stuck out to me, I feel like God really wanted me to look into this and apply it to my life. I have gotten SO caught up in the world and how I want to act I have been completely ignoring how God wants me to act. In James 1, verses 19-20 really hit me. "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." Honestly, how often do you catch yourself speaking out of anger and not realize how bad you hurt someone until after you can't take it back? I know I do it often, I mean, how can you sit there and think about every single thing you say before you say it? It seems so hard but if God specifically tells us to be slow to speak it has to be possible. I know I have to learn to listen to what others say and then think about what I respond with, sometimes I just need to stop and think "what would Jesus say?" I know that sounds kinda cheesy, it's what I had pounded into my head at vacation bible school every summer of my childhood but it's so true. If we could just stop and think what Jesus would say then we could live out the life that God wants us to. God doesn't want us to be so blunt and angry, he wants us to listen to others and be nicer. 

     The next verses I looked at were 22-25. "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." This is something I have really struggled with, I constantly find myself just kind of going through the motions. I go to church, read my bible, and pray but am I really doing anything for God? Honestly, I'm not. To really fulfill the life that God wants me to I have to do something. I have to embody Christ instead of the world and share the word with anyone that will listen. We have to learn how to be doers, and step out of our comfort zones and do what Jesus wants us to.