Don’t Be Fooled – James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Nobody ever imagines themselves as being a deceiver. Especially a deceiver of themselves. Yet, have you ever asked yourself “Am I deceiving myself?” I know it sounds silly. Nobody thinks of themselves in that light, and yet it’s equally obvious the scriptures tell us there will be those who do indeed deceive themselves in this area. Listen to the verses that follow our text.
23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
I can’t imagine someone looking into the mirror and then immediately forgetting what they look like once they walk away. This verse has always boggled my mind. Yet, something tells me that’s the point James is wanting to make. It doesn’t make sense for someone to look into the eternal word and not do what it says. It doesn’t make sense to be a hearer only. To make others, and even themselves, believe they’re a follower, but not apply what they hear to their life is something that just doesn’t make sense.
You may be fooling those around you. You may even be fooling yourself. However, you’ll never fool the one who is on the throne.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Let this be a focus in your time of meditation throughout the day. Until next time, Shalom.
SOURCE: Steve Moutria at TorahFamily.org (Posted with permission)
https://torahfamily.org/be-fooled-james/