How to get from reading the word to doing the word.

This past year I have been recovering from a place of grief by some circumstances I have had to deal with spiritually.

 

To name a few:

• Being  a mom of teens. Yes, this will and can spiritually grieve you. I am a praying mother, Lord knows. If I hear God call for me to war for my children in their bedrooms in the midnight hour, I will do it. To me, this is part of doing anything for our children. But there are also times you will see your children in pain, sadden, going through tough decisions, and it will tear you up when the Lord says, “Stop, this one I will handle with my child.” Being a mom that is willing to do anything is also trusting God.

• Losing many loved ones. Facing the pain of death and how real it is becoming to me as an adult and as a believer in Christ.

• Witnessing division. This one has been the hardest for my husband and I. To witness division from other brothers and sisters in Christ.

• My own contentment. Bearing an uneasy feeling of not doing enough for ministry and for the kingdom. When we feel like we are grieving the spirit, we begin to grieve ourselves.

 

These few mentions and more has made me reflect of what I am doing as a Christian. Where the restlessness in my spirit is coming from? Where the peace that was once there has now gone?

 

It has been a time of spiritual reflection on my relationship with the Lord and what I have been giving into it.

Have you ever experienced this?

 

Where what once felt like “righteous anger” to fight for what is right or wanting to do the order of the bible to make circumstances better has now just became the burden of your life? (Big sigh)

 

Have you ever questioned where is the peace that God promised us for those who fight for righteousness in faith? (Romans 5:1)

 

I become so entwined by this promise that I was not reflecting on everything else the Lord teaches us of how peace works.

 

• You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind has stayed on You, because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3
• If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Romans 12:18
• For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6
• And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.  James 3:18
• When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.    Proverbs 16:7
• The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:9

 

See how each of these scripture (and many more in the bible) gives actions to how to receive peace. This is what I was missing because my eyes was so caught up on God to hurry up and give peace where I thought it was deserved. Even by continuing to read through Romans 5, I see how little I was fully giving into following what the bible said. 

 

Realizing that finally made me check myself; am i just reading the word of where I think it is fitting for me, for the situation, for the circumstance, or am I living the word out so the outcome of each situation comes through His way?

 

Which is the way my heart truly desires, right? To live His way.

 

You see, there is a difference of reading the word to doing the word.

 

When I am reading the word, am I focused on the story that is being given to me or am I focusing on how it will help me right now for me and the situation?

When I am reading the word, am I focused on the story that is being given to me or am I focusing on how it will help me right now for me and the situation? #Salt&lightlinkup Share on X

When we read our bibles and focus on the words that are being given to us, by studying them, researching the greek or hebrews words behind, praying to be aligned with it, we are forming a transformation in our lifestyle as a Christian compared to making the word fit into the life we are creating.

 

We begin to grow a relationship versus growing knowledge.

 

Just as this post from Jana at Wield the Word states,

 

“In the same way that saying “I love you” and showing your love are two different things, reading and studying the Bible is different than truly believing it and living it out.”

 

I highly recommend you to take time to read this Salt & Light Link Up Feature till the end to review the Spiritual Evaluation part of this post.

Wield the Word

Becoming a Doer of God’s word.

 

Our immersion into Scripture must go beyond merely growing in knowledge.

 

Reading and studying the Bible are good. Time in God’s Word is never wasted.

 

BUT.

 

Even Satan knows the Bible. He knows it so well that he will quote it and attempt to use it to destroy our faith by distorting it. (Remember the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4?)

 

Why Should We Know the Bible?

 

So if even an enemy of God can know the Bible well, how is our knowledge of the Bible different? Why should we read and study God’s word?

 

To grow in our knowledge of the Bible is to grow in our knowledge of Jesus.

 

Among many other reasons, our primary goal as we open this Book is to know Jesus Christ – it’s about a relationship. The Bible is God’s Word to us. It’s how we understand who He is, what He loves, what He hates, how He works.

 

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

 

We all long for intimacy in relationships. Especially as women, we desire to be understood, to be known, to be loved.

 

If someone tells me they know, understand, or love me, but continually do or say things that hurt me, it’s hard for me to believe their words.

 

Charles H. Spurgeon said:

“A man’s life is always more forcible than his speech. When men take stock of him, they reckon his deeds as dollars and his words as pennies. If his life and doctrine disagree, the mass of onlookers accept his practice and reject his preaching.”

 

Reading and studying the Bible alone are not expressions of love for God. We are called to more than that.

 

Reading and Doing Are Two Different Things

 

In James 1:21, we are exhorted to “receive with meekness the implanted word“. To receive God’s Word with meekness is to accept it with a heart of humility.

 

James challenged us in James 1:22 to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

 

If we just hear (or read) God’s Word, but don’t do it, we are deceived! How are we deceived? James explains it like this:

“But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the Word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.” (James 1:22-25 NLT)

 

He goes further in chapter 2:

 

“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions?… Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless… You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this… How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:14-20 NLT)

 

In the same way that saying “I love you” and showing your love are two different things, reading and studying the Bible is different than truly believing it and living it out.

 

Loving Jesus…

 

Continue post here.