James 1:22-25
Sometimes we get “hearing only syndrome,” and these early Christians James wrote to also seemed to get it. What is “hearing only syndrome?” It's when we hear, but don't listen. We hear the words and we read them, but don't seek to apply them to our lives. We consider the words to be good and words that are good to live by, but we don't let them affect our lives. James addresses that syndrome in these verses.
Four causes for “hearing only syndrome”
- Not really spiritually listening. … Hearing means the sound waves have reached your ears. Listening is when you hear and also focus on the meaning of the words, those sound waves that reach your ear.
- Making excuses. … We get this trait from Adam and Eve. When they were caught eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they made excuses. Adam blamed Eve and Eve blamed the serpent. We still do it today. We are told to love our neighbors, to go to church and congregate with other believers, to give to the needy, to put others before ourselves. But, have you met my neighbor? The church doesn't play music I like. I can barely support myself, how can I give to the needy? I have to take care of myself before I can take care of others. We have excuses for everything.
- Becoming content consumers. … We can get caught up in the people, places, and events in the Bible and enjoy consuming the stories without letting it transform us. It's good to enjoy the Bible and learn everything we can about it, but it should be transforming us into the people we were always meant to be.
- Intending to obey “tomorrow”. … Some of us tend to put things off until later, until “tomorrow” over and over again. We say we'll change tomorrow, but then tomorrow never comes. When we are on the verge of taking action with intent to obey, the devil likes to whisper in our ears that we can start tomorrow or when things slow down. He continually delays our transformation.
When we hear or read God's Word, we look into a reflection of a spiritual mirror. It shows us who we are and what we need to change. It convicts us and challenges us to grow.
Take a look in the spiritual mirror by opening God's Word and asking:
- What does God want to change in my life? … Ten years from now, what should your life look like? What should be different and how should you have grown?
- Is there something I need to do immediately? … Are there decisions you just need to make? Do you need to get baptised, start tithing, apologize to someone, put an end to an addiction? What step does God want you to take today?
- Do I have any spiritual blind spots? … What areas are you lacking in that others notice but you don't?
For Further Study/Resources Used to Prepare This Message
- James by David Platt (Christ-Centered Exposition)
- The Letter of James by Douglas J. Moo (Pillar)
- James by Craig Blomberg & Mariam Kamell (Zondervan)
- James: Faith That Works by R. Kent Hughes (Crossway)
- Don’t Waste Your Sorrows by Paul David Tripp
- Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
- BibleProject — “James Overview” video