Look Carefully
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect 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 1:22-25
Insight
At the heart of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the Garden of Eden was their decision to disobey God. They decided to forego God’s instruction to not eat the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They chose to go against the One who made them, loved them and sustained them, and instead they took a shot at being their own gods.
We all know how that worked out. And to this day, everybody since has struggled with the same issue: wanting to rule our own destinies, in big ways and small. Wanting to be selective in what we obey.
Take the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this week, the governor of North Carolina announced a statewide “Stay at Home” order. This directive states that we are to:
“…stay at home except to visit essential businesses, to exercise outdoors or to help a family member. Specifically, the order bans gatherings of more than 10 people and directs everyone to physically stay at least six feet apart from others.”
When I read this, I immediately started scheming what I could get away with. Can we have seven friends over to hang out with the three of us? What if everyone brings their own food, and we stay in the back yard the whole time, six feet apart? What’s the harm in that?
Well, maybe there is no harm. But maybe the real issue is my trying to keep the letter of the law while breaking the spirit of the law. I’ve certainly tried this before with other rules that cramp my style. Like speed limits and much weightier matters.
But back to James. In the passage above, he is making the case that people who only “hear” God’s Word without putting it into action deceive themselves because they ignore how clear and relevant Scripture is to their lives. James wants his audience to “look carefully” at the Word. I shouldn’t just give it a passing glance, then promptly forget everything I just read.
Rather, we are called to habitually study Scripture with an eye for seeking examples of love, justice, holiness —and then practice those things ourselves. Because living out God’s Word doesn’t cramp our style. It leads to freedom and blessing: freedom from the trap of sin and the blessing of experiencing kingdom joy.
That’s the true picture of obedience I need to remember whenever I get the itch to be my own god.
Reflection
• Do you tend to be a rule follower or a rule breaker?
• Are there any commands in the Bible you find difficult to obey? What would it look like to submit your will to God in that area?
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, Your Word is true and meaningful to our lives. Help us to not merely hear Your Word, or pick and choose what feels “obeyable.” Give us the desire to search Scripture for ways to apply it to our everyday thoughts and actions. You promise freedom and blessing when we do. Thank you for your goodness and grace even when we fall short. Amen.
PC3 writer Katy Davis wrote today’s devotional.
