Listen and Do!

Verses for reflection this morning - James 1:19,22-27 NIV:

[19] "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,.."

[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."

[26] "Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. [27] Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

The theme of late has been listening and doing.  In these verses, James is taking a slightly different approach, but still the same message.  I like that he says we should be quick to listen and slow to speak, can you imagine if we lived that way actually?  We live in this age where everybody has their opinion, and we now have a way to share it with anyone and everyone.  It seems to me that many have stopped listening and instead are just shouting out.

Lately I have been reflecting on the word being seed, and we are the soil (Matt 13:3-9).  The good soil receives the seed and produces fruit/grain in abundance.  Jesus finishes that parable saying, Matthew 13:9 NIV:  "Whoever has ears, let them hear.”  In other words, listening is the key!  Listening, leads to understanding, understanding allows us to respond and do that which we need to do.  We must both listen and do!

James shares one last line, relating to listening and speaking, encouraging those who do speak, to keep a tight rein on their tongue, even going so far to say that those who don't, offer worthless honor to God.  Wow!  James continues on this theme later in this letter as follows - James 3:9-11 NIV:  "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. [10] Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. [11] Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?"  His point here in the first chapter seems to be that the salt water, overrides the fresh.  We know that it takes a long time to build trust, and only a moment or few words to destroy that trust.  Oh Lord, help us to rein-in our words, that we might speak words that give life!

Finally, James drops a beautiful bit of truth, the Father is more concerned with our care for others than our religious observances.  James is writing primarily to fellow Jews who became Christians, so his comments are directed to his audience.  The Jews had many religious duties, and vestiges from the Law, and he was pointing them towards those the Father values highly!  The widow and orphans are still underserved and under cared for even in our present day society.  Would our hearts be stirred to help those that have no one to help them?

I am encouraged again this morning to make sure that I am listening well, and that I am slow to speak, and when I do speak,to make sure I am speaking words that give life!  Lord help me to listen and do what the word says to do!

Amen!