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Being an Effectual Doer of the Word The Bible tells us that the effectual doer of the Word is the one who will be blessed. Simply put, if we want to enjoy the blessings of God, we need to put the Word of God into practice. Otherwise, we delude ourselves (James 1:22-24) forgetting who we are.There is no doubt the Bible is a book of action; hearing alone is never sufficient. Throughout its pages we are called upon to apply the things we learn. In fact, Christians were created for the purpose of good works (Eph 2:10). Sadly though, we are probably all aware of people who know the Bible inside and out, but have never been willing or able to make application of it. I don’t know of anyone who became a Christian without wanting to put the Word into practice, but good intentions count for little, and the fact is that many of us often fail to follow through. Any relationship needs work and the one we have with God is no exception. We may like to think that God is taking care of everything, but we must understand that relationships are two-way streets. Unless we are willing to work we can't expect that God will honor us. It is a fact that God will bring us all to judgment one day. We may think we have all the time in the world, but it is imperative that we live as if it were happening today. Unless we have a sense of urgency about what we do, other things will always get in the way. If we constantly take care of the seemingly urgent matters of this world, we will simply never get around to doing the Word. There may be a lot of reasons (excuses) for not doing the Word, but none are acceptable in the eyes of God. A common excuse I hear is that someone is busy. It's sad but true that when we get busy, it is often our spiritual life that gets affected first. What a tragedy that our relationship with God is the first thing we will compromise. Another hindrance from being a doer is sin -- both as symptom and cause. It is a symptom when we fail to live the Word and are not prepared for predictable trials. How many people have fallen away because they never practiced the Word, and in time of temptation or trial did not have the skills or faith to overcome? It is a cause when our sin, left to fester, causes us to shy away from practicing our faith. When people fall into sin they often pull away from the very things they need. They stop reading, studying, praying, communicating. They stop doing the things of God, and the inevitable result is a slide away from the faith. When all is said and done, the simplest, and possibly the most important thing about applying the Word of God is simply to decide to do it. Every day when we get up we have a choice to make. Will we do what God has asked today to the best of our ability? In the Old Testament the people offered sacrifices day by day to help keep their commitment to God in front of them at all times In the New Testament, we are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice (Rom 12:1). I don’t see this as a one-time event; rather, we should recommit ourselves each and every day. Certainly it could not hurt to wake each morning kneel in prayer, spend time in study and reflection upon God’s Word, and commit ourselves to live as God would have us. We just need to serve Him today-- every day -- never allowing ourselves to forget that this is a lifetime walk, not something we do when we get around to it. Every day we need to commit ourselves anew. Every day and every moment we need to keep our relationship with God clearly in focus. If we can maintain that attitude, it should be easier for us to commit to becoming effectual doers of the Word. --END-- Jim Turner 09/01/2010
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