THE TAKEAWAY:

How to hang out with Jesus (pt. 3) Doers over hearers

MESSAGE:

Let’s be honest: one of the most mischievous ways to play The Sims is to build a pool, place your avatar inside, and then remove the ladder so they drown. We’ve all probably tried it at some point! I’m not judging you, but I’m relieved you’re not a divine being responsible for humanity. The creators of the game hoped you would use it to raise a young adult, build a family, and own a house in the suburbs. But I understand how easy it is to stray from their intentions and experiment with your family’s mortality instead.

We probably need counseling, tbh.

Since we cannot get God to write us a personal to-do list every morning, we must rely on our comprehension of scripture to live out our relationship with Jesus. If you were a Jew in the Old Testament, there were 613 things you needed to do or avoid to be a faithful follower of God. Since God knows humanity has struggled with long lists, Jesus sums up the entire Bible thesis in two commands. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and care for your neighbor as you do yourself. This was not a new command, Jesus states, but one God has always wanted us to focus on since the beginning of time.

When you spend your day with Jesus, you express your love for Him and for others by following His commands. By showing love to your neighbor, you honor God’s creation. Additionally, when you demonstrate your devotion to God, you convey the greatest love anyone can receive. These two commands are intertwined and enhance one another. Since these two commands are embedded in Christ’s personality, they will be the top priority for anyone who calls Jesus a friend, master, and savior.

But don’t let this scare you into freezing up and getting discouraged. God’s goodness and help are gifts he implants in our relationship. We only need to be on the lookout for these opportunities and stay faithful to loving habits. The book of James shares how we can seek out these opportunities. Read below.

FIGURE IT OUT:

22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

26 If anyone among you thinks himself to be religious while he doesn’t bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before our God and Father is this: to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:22-27

  1. Circle some keywords or phrases that are significant to you. What makes them important?
  2. According to this passage, what is James asking us to avoid? What is he asking us to look out for?
  3. How does James’ advice help us fulfill the command to love our neighbor and to love God?
  4. How would you turn this advice from James into something you can do during your week?

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