Change Is The Operative Word

This morning I am reading from the Letter of James - James 1:21-25 NIV:

[21] "Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

[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."

I like these verses from James, so simple, yet so important. We must first accept Gods word and let it be planted in us. That is also really what verse 22 says, merely listing to the word, but not acting on it, is similar to the first type of person described in Jesus parable of the sower. (Matt 13:3-4) His explanation of this type of person is found in Matthew 13:19 - "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path."

So the questions for us are as follows: Do we act on the word we hear? Do we allow it to be planted in our lives, in our mind and in our heart? Do we change the way we act, based on the word we receive? Do we consider the word, look at our lives and compare how we are living to what it says we should be doing in God's Word? Are we bearing fruit in our lives, that is visible to others? Do we know what God is working in us, what His purpose is in this present season?

We are warned to not deceive ourselves, by settling for merely listening. This would include having good intentions, but never changing our behavior. Ouch - that hits close to home, because I know my intentions are much more significant than my actual actions. I can deceive myself into thinking that just listening to or reading the word is enough - if I put in my time, I am good. James warns us that this is just deception. What counts is actual action, real change, consistent fruit. Going back to Jesus parable of the sower, he warns us about the other struggles we must overcome to be fruitful, cares of the world, pressures, troubles or even the deceitfulness of wealth can reduce or eliminate our fruitfulness.

The season from planting a seed to bearing fruit usually is more than a few weeks - it often takes a focused effort of more than a few months to see real fruit - real change in our lives. In an organization, changing the culture - how they think and act - can take many months. It is accomplished by consistent, planned and regular activities that enable and encourage the changes desired. Our lives are much the same, seeing real changes in our thinking and activities, or making something a habit can take several months. We need to continue to pursue, continue to remind, continue to hold onto that seed - that Word of God - to see real change.

So let us endeavor to listen, to hear, to consider, to compare and then change in accordance with Gods word. Change is the operative word.