350 of 365 - Don't Just Hear. Do.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22
 
Let’s say you really want to get in better shape. You go to a wellness seminar, you buy a handful of healthy cookbooks, you join a gym, you research and download the highest-rated fitness apps, you talk for hours with your best friend about your plans, you even make a calendar with a workout schedule and meal plan. But you never go to the gym or change your bad eating habits. The scale doesn’t budge.
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Or what if you tell your teenager to clean their room. You smile as they happily head upstairs. A few hours later you peek in to check on them. They are sitting on their bed in their even messier room with a laptop in one hand, phone in the other, and sketchbook by their side. Shocked you angrily ask what they are doing. “Looking up videos on room cleaning, texting my friends for advice, and jotting down some plans. I’m all in and so inspired,” they tell you. But their room is still a mess!

Or you have this dream inside you. A gift from God. Something He has given you to do. You think about it constantly, you pray about it and journal about it in great detail. But you never take that step toward it.

Or in a hurry to meet your dinner date, you quickly glance in a mirror. You notice your hair is a mess, your mascara smeared, and your shirt inside out. You tilt your head in concern, then proceed to walk out the door. Though you no longer see it, you are still a walking disaster.

Or you go to church, consistently have quiet time, and wouldn’t think of missing your small group. But you never put what you hear, read, discuss into practice. It never transforms you. Your heart is still hard and your life outside of church activities hasn’t changed at all.

Let us not be deceived, just going through the motions. May our desire to do what God says be as strong as our desire to hear what He says. God, transform us into who You know we can be; who You created us to be.
 
Questions: Do any of these scenarios resonate with you? How can you make sure to be a do-er and not merely a hear-er?