A Round Tuit

At a trade show some years ago, I was given a small box containing a round, wooden disk, about the size of a half dollar.  On it was written, in bold letters – TUIT.  Also on the box was a piece of paper on which was written, “You can no longer say you just didn’t get around to it.”  Somebody, who was either an entrepreneur with a sense of humor or very frustrated at dealing with all the excuses they heard for people not doing what they said, had produced a nice marketing gimmick. 

 James 1

²² And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. ²³ For if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law—the law that sets you free—and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

 James has just finished a lesson on interpersonal relationships.  He wrote that those who claim the name of Jesus should be good listeners, controlling the urge to speak.  He also cautioned against allowing one’s natural tendency toward anger to control their life because actions born out of anger instead of love will never “make things right in God’s sight.”  If James had been preaching these words from a pulpit, I am sure that you would have heard a chorus of hearty amens.

 In this passage, we see that James was not content with a superficial response to the divinely inspired words he was passing on.  If we did not know the source of these verses, we might tend to think that they were words from a sermon heard last week.  The message is just as applicable today as it was when James penned this letter.  In fact, if we don’t take this message to heart, God will have to find people who will, and they will get the blessing He promises.

 How many times have we heard a message from God through our Bible study, a message delivered by one called to spread the Gospel, or even a song that pointed out something we needed to be doing?  How many times have we truly acted on what we heard or read?  Too often, we nod our heads or maybe even give the pastor an attaboy, and go on about our business as usual.  James is telling us that hearing and not acting on God’s Word to our hearts is foolishness.  He says it would be like looking in the mirror and seeing that your hair was a mess and your clothes were all wrinkled, then going out in public without cleaning up, convincing yourself that you look just fine.

 There is only one way for us to be what God intends for us to be.  James tells us that we must “keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law.”  In other words - read His Book.  Learn what God expects of you in His Kingdom’s work.  Listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to you through Scripture and Bible-based teaching.  Then, and most importantly, do something about it.  Apply what you hear and read to the way you live your life.

Do you want a blessing from God?  Then do what He is telling you to do!   

 
We serve an awesome God!!!!!