“Doers of the Word”

In James 1:22, James writes, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” With these words, James confronts a problem that we know of all too well in our modern world. That is confusing the exposure to God’s word with obedience to it. Hearing alone, no matter how frequent the word is heard, does not produce real spiritual maturity. God’s word is meant to shape conduct, not simply inform us about what is good and bad, right and wrong, etc.

James uses the image of a mirror to make his point. A person who hears the word but does not act upon it is like someone who glances at his reflection and immediately forgets what he saw. The mirror reveals what you really look like- dirt, messy hair, skin imperfections- but it does not change anyone by itself. Change occurs only when the true image that has been revealed to you is taken seriously enough to respond to it.

James highlights the common problem of self-deception. It is possible to attend worship, read Scripture, and know book, chapter and verse while remaining unchanged, indifferent, or unfaithful. Familiarity with truth can dull our sense of urgency. When obedience is delayed or ignored, the problem is not a lack of understanding but a lack of submission.

In contrast, James talks about the one who looks intently into “the perfect law, the law of liberty,” and abides by it. God’s commands are not burdensome or heavy- they are instructions that lead to freedom! True liberty is found not in doing whatever sounds good to us, but in living exactly as God designed us to live.

The promise attached to our continual obedience is the fact that if we humbly obey, “this man will be blessed in what he does.” This blessing is seen in a life ordered by truth, obedience, Godliness, and our faithfulness.

This little section of scripture really challenges each of us to examine our response to the word of God. Are we content to listen and only listen, or are we willing to act? Because the word of God doesn’t have effectiveness when it is in one ear and out the other. The word accomplishes its work when it moves from our ears into our lives. 

-Mason MacDonald