Ever Hearing, Never Doing
But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. -James 1:22 KJV
Sisters, let’s not be the person who shows up to church because it’s the right thing to do; who reads Our Daily Bread and think we have done our duty; or who spends time in morning devotion as a matter of routine. James says, do not be hearers only; forever reading scriptures and wearing the t-shirt, but never doing what we hear; never applying the Word to our everyday lives.
There’s a passage in the bible that, as a woman, might make us feel “some kind of way” in our flesh; but is true nonetheless. It speaks about “silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim 3:6b,7). Wow. That’s a powerful passage. May we not be this type of woman; always attending worship services, attending bible study, studying at home, having morning devotions, praying, and talking about the Word; but not appropriately applying what
we hear. Ever learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
A sister at church was the first person I recall emphasizing “NEVER ABLE.” That’s scary; but it’s true. There are people who will never get it; some church goers and bible believers will be lost. May we not show up, listen to the preacher, read our bibles; but walk away unchanged. We could talk intelligently about the message the preacher preached or we may even be the preacher; but if the Word has not taken root, has not stirred our soul, has not transformed our thinking, has not resulted in a transformed way of living; then we have been hearers only and have deceived ourselves.
The way it works in a born-again believer is, the Spirit of God in us, moves at the hearing of the Word of God. It bears witness that we are the children of God (1 John 3). There is a heart’s desire and earnest striving to please the Father- not out of guilty or unwilling constraint, but because a loving child is pleased to please their parent.
May we hear the scripture as the very Word of God and voice of God. And if our hearts and actions are not affected by what we read, may we cry out in urgency; that we be not silly women…ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Sisters, be blessed.
