Two words found in the book of James will transform your Christian life. Let’s read James 1:22-25. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”
Can you see the two words? Hear and Do.
I don’t know about you, but as a young Christian, I found some of the things the preacher preached, or I read in Christian books hard to accept and understand. The conversation of my new Christian friends didn’t really make sense or seemed extreme and odd. I wondered how others grew in the Lord and feared I might be left behind. I even found some of what II read in the Bible hard to accept.
Like tithing, for example. Why should I give ten percent of my income? My dad always put a dollar in the plate. That seemed fine to me. Forgiveness. Am I to forgive even when the other person hasn’t asked or made amends? Love. Am I to love those that don’t treat me nice? How do I do that? Anger. I’m not to be angry? I’m to learn to control my tongue and attitude, even when others don’t? That seems a bit unfair.
We face lots of questions as we grow and learn in our Christian life. But these two words help us find answers and know what to do. So, let’s see if we can understand what God is telling us.
Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” One of the greatest hurdles we face is our own understanding! God created us with an intellect, and we should use it, but sometimes our mind gets to thinking it is more powerful, smarter, and greater than its Creator.
God often warns us about this type of pride. Even in verse 7 of Proverbs 3, He repeats almost the same words – “Be not wise in thine own eyes.” Sometimes we have baggage or misconceptions or hold certain prejudices that go against what God’s word teaches. And we struggle to bring them in line with Scripture. We think we are right because we have always believed a particular way and find it hard to change.
Not long into my Christian walk, I found a verse in Proverbs that helped me with this. Proverbs 21:30 says, “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.”
I have found this one verse so helpful when my mind wants to figure things out. I came to agree with God that His wisdom is greater than mine. If He says something is good, there is a particular way to do something or an attitude I need to adapt, I learned to submit, to stop trying to figure it out, and simply act by faith. I agreed God was always right, and I needed to stop fighting against Him. There is no way to win! “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.”
That is what hearing and doing is all about. You will struggle to “do,” if you disagree with what you are “hearing,” right? So, the first thing you must establish in your heart is that the Word you have before you – God’s Word – is right. It is the correct way to do things. It holds the best perspective on life and promises the best outcome. Then you take your questions and figuring out through the Word and discover what you should do.
Let me give you an example.
In the book of Luke, we find the disciples out fishing. Remember, these guys were experienced, professional fishermen. They had toiled all night and caught nothing. Jesus comes by and asks them to put the ship out again so he can use it to teach the people. So, they did – they heard and did. When Jesus was finished, He told Simon to throw out the nets again. Simon’s answer is what would most likely be ours as well.
“Jesus, we worked all night at this and caught nothing! We are professional fishermen. But, if you say so, I hear you! I’ll do it! I’ll let down the nets again.” This time, they caught so many fish their net broke. The key is, they heard and did based on what the Lord told them – based on His word.
I wonder what would have happened if they had laughed Jesus to scorn. Remember, Jesus was not a fisherman. He was a carpenter. What did He know about fishing? They were the professionals; they were the ones with the experience. They knew what to do. Sometimes we take that attitude with things we hear from the pulpit or read in our Bible. Our experience, understanding, and opinion are where we place our faith – where we make our decisions. We aren’t willing to hear!
And when we fail to hear or block what we hear by our own opinion or ideas, we exhibit stubbornness and rebellion. We are trying to make sense of God’s word by our own intellect. But God isn’t impressed with our ideas. He doesn’t need our opinion. Remember Proverbs 21:30?
His opinions are much bigger and better. His have an intent of blessing, and He knows how to make it happen! We are to trust and obey. Do you know that song? “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” It’s a simple truth, but so full of promise.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is exhibited by acceptance of what we hear and faithfulness in doing what the Word of God says. It isn’t about smarts or opinions, but wholehearted obedience.
The Bible gives other examples of people who cast away their earthly understanding and stepped out by faith to obey – to hear and do – what God had shown them.
Rahab heard about the God of the Israelites. So, she hid the spies, and God saved her and her family.
Abraham heard God calling him to leave home, so he went out, not knowing where he was to go, and God gave him a land, a son, and a nation.
Gideon heard God calling him to become the man to lead the army and, even though he was unsteady at first, he obeyed. And God used him to break Israel free from their enemy.
The woman with the pots. I love this story. The poor woman’s husband died and left her with two sons and in debt. The Prophet told her to gather pots from all her neighbors. That seemed odd, I’m sure, but she and her sons collected as many vessels as they could, and God filled them with enough oil to pay her debt and live off the rest!
Sometimes, what God tells us is challenging, but we can be sure He will keep His promise if we will follow on by faith.
Let’s look at hearing and doing another way. We are to live by faith; by the same faith that brought us to Christ.
You heard the word of salvation, and what did you do? You came to Christ, confessing your need of a Saviour and asking His forgiveness. And how did God bless? He forgave your sins and made you anew.
If you haven’t yet done that, let me assure you. Romans 10:17 tells us “Faith cometh by hearing.” We hear the word of God. Then, in Romans 10:9, we do something about it. You confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. That is the doing part. And what does God promise will happen? Romans 10:13, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Then, as you learn to walk in this new life in Christ. You will succeed by doing the same – following the same pattern.
When you hear something from God’s word, whether it is tithing, giving, helping others, speaking for Christ, loving, forgiving, or whatever it might be. When you hear it – do it! Do it by faith, and God will bless. We are to live by the same faith that brought us to Christ – based on His word, His promises, His ability. Hear and do.
So, what has the Lord been speaking to you about lately? You will find it will always match His word, and He will keep placing it on your heart and before your ears. It will challenge you to cast out your net! When you hear and do, the blessing is on the other side of obedience. Walking by faith is not a blind walk, it is a confident assured stride based on the knowledge of God’s word, character, and promises.
John Greenleaf Whittier wrote, “Nothing before, nothing behind, The steps of faith fall on the seeming void, and find the rock beneath.” That is the walk of faith, but you will never know what it is like until you step out!
So, let me encourage you. Hear – listen to what the Lord says, to His word, to the preacher
and DO. Obey what the Bible instructs. Take each step by faith, and you will grow. You will put yourself in the place of blessing.
Revelation 1:3 – “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.”
There are those two key words again - they that hear and they that keep or do! Two great words to take you forward, to grow your faith, and put you in a place of God’s blessing.
Hear and Do!
