Do As The Word Says

https://odb.org/MY/2022/01/14/practice-what-you-preach-3

I think a challenge every believer probably faces is to live in accordance with the Word. As James said Chapter 1 of his book we are not to just hear the Word but to obey or apply it in our lives. The illustration given was apt. If we do not apply it, we are like someone who looks at a mirror and immediately forgets what we look like, meaning to say, we have forgotten who we are in Christ. We must be conscious that as children of God, we carry the glory of God in us. Our actions must therefore reflect the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord as we as Christians have sought to place our identity with Christ. To the world, we represent Christ. That is why we need to practice what we preach. Even if we do not consciously or actively preach Christ by our words, we preach Christ by our lives. Thus our lives must put into practice the values and character of Christ. Not so much of not having sin or weaknesses but more a spirit to always want to take the character of Christ in all that we do. Will Jesus do this or that? How will Jesus react in such a situation? And we do likewise.

Perhaps as a way to motivate us to do as the Word says than just be hearers, we may want to consider why it is good to apply the Word. Besides our identification with Christ as Christians or “Little Christs”, applying the Word activates the goodness and blessings that the Word itself brings. In reality, we do not lose out when we do good, when we help someone else in need. If we give away RM1,000 we will have RM1,000 less with us. That is true. But we also open up the blessings of God upon our lives and at the same time we are storing riches in heaven. I’m sure the blessings we will have and the riches we will store is very much disportionate to what we give away on earth! That is why people who give almost always experience much more in terms of blessings from God. The more we give, the more we receive. It is a principle that is reversed – right side up and something that will confound the wisdom of the world. It may be ironic that for people in the world, the more they have, the tighter they hold on and perhaps that’s how they had more – by being frugal and tight fisted. But we as Christians, we will apply the Word and do the opposite and we will instead experience that the more we give, the more we will get and thus the freer we are to give even more.

Applying the Word not only opens up the blessings of heavens to us but it also strengthens our character in Christ and transforms us to be more like Christ and the more we are like Christ in our actions and words, the more we will reflect the glory of God. It’s an unending cycle of goodness and blessings! At the same time we are also storing up our riches in heaven! Isn’t it then wonderful and marvelous to be doers instead of just hearers of the Word!