Application Over Education

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

I love reading the word.  I love how it takes me places mentally I wouldn’t have gone before, and when it challenges a thought I had, it makes me shift my momentum.  I love it when I must rewrite a devotion because when I actually read God’s word, I come up with a different conclusion.  I love the conflict and chaos that it creates in my life, and is such a disruptive force that it frustrates the daylight out of me.  You are probably reading this and asking yourself, “What the heck is wrong with Kent today?!?!?”  Rest assured everything is fine.  You see, a vibrant growing Christian faith sounds like this.  However, this is only half the equation.

You see, loving the word means nothing unless I am actually willing to apply it.  The fact it expands my mind forces me to utilize it sometimes in the exact same way I previously had to see how different it is today. It makes me stop running one way, and now I must crawl, walk, then run the other way.  It balances my writing like Proverbs 27:17 (As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend).  It makes for constant thought and debate in my mind and heart.  However, the best thing about application of the word is when those things come out of me, and it actually changes others.  It attracts them not to me but to God.  This is the application of those things I have learned.

One can only love God’s law by using it actively.  The Book of James is filled with lots of great words that challenge our beliefs in a healthy way (ex. Faith by works is dead – see James 2:17).  In reading today’s verses, James makes the straightforward case of applying God’s law into our lives.  I felt a personal gut punch reading to “see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”  That is both humbling and convicting as I must acknowledge that I am not quite the man God would want me to be.  Yet, it is also motivating as I strive to be better in my walk of faith, and with each step, God rewards me for my using what He has instilled in me.  We have all heard the saying, “I can’t hear you because your actions speak so loud.”  This is what we as Christians must always aspire to do.  Our actions will always be a bigger indicator of our faithfulness to God.  Thus, while reading the word is paramount, it means little if we are not able to translate into tangible change in our lives.  Furthermore, it must be seen not for others to observe but for God to bless our each and every step that shows both submittal to His will and love for His teachings.

Jesus is the ultimate applicator.  There can be no doubt of how great a teacher Jesus is, and even those who studied the laws of the Bible acknowledged Him as such.  However, He at numerous times chose to apply His teachings in a way that showed a clear example for us to live a life devoted to Him.  There was His telling the people without sin to cast the first stone to the adulterer.  Then Jesus Himself as the only one who could have stoned her forgave her (John 8:3-11).  Or what about when Jesus said to His disciples, “There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13). Then He allowed Himself to be put on the cross so that we could have eternal life.  So, what are we to take from all this?  Quite simply, my prayer is that we take Christ’s example and focus on application over education.  Amen

Meditation & Application

I will keep on obeying your instructions
    forever and ever.
I will walk in freedom,
    for I have devoted myself to your commandments.
I will speak to kings about your laws,
    and I will not be ashamed.
How I delight in your commands!
    How I love them!
I honor and love your commands.
    I meditate on your decrees.  Psalm 119:44-48

What am I going to do in 2019? There were many milestones that I reached this year.  One was making it to twenty years at the same place of employment.  Not too shabby for a person who had not stayed anywhere longer than four.  Many other achievements were reached such as having a daughter get to ninth grade and being in decent shape in other areas in my life.  The year has had lots of successes, and looking toward 2019, it is a good time to pause and reflect on what has worked this year.  In that vein, it would be bad for me to simply look at my growth in faith and not realize that there was much room still to grow as a Christ follower.  It is important that while I can do all things through Him, I must remember that I am not Him.  While my faith by works is not good, my works through faith is.  And while I read His word, it is crucial that I do not just say to myself, “Hey!  That’s good to know!”  It is more important that I reflect on it and meditate so that it has both relevancy and value.

We should all take time to gain greater understanding of God’s word not only in comprehension but also through application. As I read the 119^th Psalm, there are many different prayers for not only God’s guidance but also our obedience to Him.  If I am reading it for comprehension alone, I may lose its intent.  Do I really get freedom by enslaving myself to God’s commandments?  If I love the law, am I able to truly love my neighbor?  What courage will I need to always speak the truth of God’s word even when it either might hurt someone or disagrees with other laws?  These are questions one should be asking as they read these verses, and it is clearly noted as such as David said in the 48^thverse, “I meditate on your decrees.”  Even amid his giving glory to God, he noted that he must make time to reflect on those things God had laid on his heart.  We too must take that approach as we gain greater clarity into God’s will for us.  If we rush too fast through a reading, we may find ourselves missing a key principle in our life that may either become a shortfall or lead us down a more treacherous path.

God’s word is there for us when we need instruction. A devotion years ago described the Bible like an owner’s manual for a car.  Most of us know how to operate the car, but to truly take care of it, one must learn of the manual’s contents to ensure a long healthy car life.  For us to have a healthy and growing spiritual life, we too must push not to just read God’s word.  We must understand the context of what we are reading, ensure it means what it says, and pray for guidance in applying it in our lives.  That’s something we should all aspire to do in the New Year.  What practices do you have to ensure clarity when reading God’s word?  How can you reflect more on it in the coming year?  My prayer is that this New Year we find practices to ensure meditation for future application.  Amen, and may you have a blessed and Happy New Year!

Thursday Devotional - Hearing Only?

I often ask the kids “what did I say?!” Sometimes I ask it in response to them asking the same question they’ve just asked, hoping for a different answer! Other times, I ask it when I catch them not picking up after I asked them to pick up their toys. In either scenario, my kids heard and knew what I said but didn’t listen and obey.

Similarly, I can hear, read and know God’s Word, but what difference will it make in my life unless I apply and obey it?

Romans 2:13-16     ¹³ For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. ¹⁴ (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) ¹⁶ This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.

Whether you plan to read the whole Bible in a year this year or have some other Bible study plan, end your time with at least one application question for yourself. I often write out my application question in a journal and then write out the answer. Sometimes I have to think about it and answer it the next day (or later).

James 1:22 & 25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says… But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

Alice