We should be doers of the Word.

James 1:19-27

1:19-21
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save you souls.


When I look at this passage, I see  that we should be both. We need to hear the Word, and we also need to put action behind what we hear. We should strive for righteousness. The way we do that is by focusing fully on Jesus. Satan knows when and how to strike us. Satan goes after us Christians for a reason. He already has the unbelievers, but if he can destroy our witness then he thinks he wins.

1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

It is not good enough to be hearers only. Think about this: If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you have no choice but to be a doer of the word. If you are not filled with the Spirit, then you are just a hearer deceiving yourself. We are supposed to be in constant communication with God.

Another thing to think about. What do you do if you love something? You talk about it. If you are filled with the Holy Spirit then you will talk about Him. You will do things that will glorify Him. You will do things because you love Him. If you are just hearing Him speak, you will have no desire to do anything for Him. We have to be in His presence at all times, in order to defeat the temptations given by the enemy.

1:26-27
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.






So we need to be in constant communication with God. If we do this then we will automatically be doers of the word because we will be filled with the Holy Spirit.