Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

Based on James 1:22–25

Have you ever had someone ask you to do something while you were already preoccupied with something else? I certainly have. In fact, it happens more often than I’d like to admit. My husband will call and ask me to order something for him off of Amazon while we’re in the middle of a conversation—usually while I’m out walking the dog. It’s not that I don’t want to help him, or even that I don’t hear him. In fact, I often respond with an “Okay, I’ll do that when I get back.” But then we keep talking, and the topic shifts a dozen times before I’m home. Thirty minutes later, I’m back at my desk, immersed in emails, deadlines, and life. The next time I even think about that Amazon order is when he asks, “Hey, did that thing come in yet?”

Maybe you can relate.

That moment is a perfect picture of something James addresses in his letter to the church. He writes:

“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.”— James 1:22–25 (ESV)

James challenges us to be more than passive receivers of spiritual truth. He calls us to live it out. Because hearing truth without acting on it is like glancing in a mirror and forgetting your own reflection. You may have seen the truth, but you’ve done nothing with it. It hasn’t changed you.

Hearing Is Not the Same as Doing

Let’s be honest—our culture has a hearing problem, not because we lack access to God’s Word, but because we often stop short of applying it. In fact, we might even pride ourselves on how much we know. We listen to sermons, read devotionals, join Bible studies, watch theological reels, and even memorize verses. But James reminds us that true listening includes action. In other words, if you’re only listening and not doing, you’re not really listening at all.

Think of a time when someone came to you for advice. Maybe they were struggling with a decision, asking for wisdom, and you gave them thoughtful, heartfelt counsel rooted in experience or Scripture. Then they went out and did the exact opposite. That’s frustrating, right?

Now imagine how God feels when we do the same thing with His Word.

Hearing and Doing = Listening

The Bible doesn’t separate hearing and doing the way we often try to. In James’ time—and in much of Jewish thought—to hear God meant to obey Him. The Hebrew word shema (as in the famous prayer from Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel”) includes the idea of both listening and responding. It isn’t passive. It’s relational. It’s action-oriented.

James doesn’t let us off the hook. He tells us plainly: hearing without doing is self-deception. We may think we’re spiritually mature just because we’ve absorbed information. But in reality, transformation doesn’t come from information alone. It comes from applying what we’ve heard.

“Information + Application = Transformation.”

Hearing + Doing = Change.

The Source of What You Hear Matters

Now, let’s be clear: James isn’t talking about doing whatever people tell you to do. He’s not advocating for constant busyness or obedience to the loudest voices in our lives. He’s talking about hearing God’s Word and then doing something with it.

That distinction matters.

God is not just another opinion in a sea of advice. He is the source of truth, the standard of righteousness, and the author of life. When He speaks, He does not guess. He does not speculate. He commands, not out of control or dominance, but out of love, wisdom, and authority.

God’s Word is not flawed or up for debate. It is pure (Psalm 12:6), true (John 17:17), life-giving (Hebrews 4:12), and eternal (Isaiah 40:8). It is a mirror that reflects both who we truly are and who God truly is.

And that’s part of the problem. We often don’t want to see ourselves for who we truly are. We’d rather glance and walk away. But God calls us to look deeply—not to be crushed by what we see, but to be changed by His grace.

God’s Word Reveals Our Identity

James uses the metaphor of a mirror, which is so powerful. When we look into God’s Word, we see our true spiritual condition. We see both the areas where we fall short and the beauty of who we are in Christ. But if we only glance—only hear—and then move on, we forget who we really are.

Why does that matter?

Because forgetfulness leads to stagnation. It leads to spiritual immaturity. And it keeps us from living the full, free life God intends for us.

“But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres… he will be blessed in his doing.”— James 1:25

Notice what James calls God’s Word: “the law of liberty.” It’s not a burden; it’s freedom. Obeying God doesn’t enslave us—it releases us. When we obey His Word, we step into alignment with His purpose. We live as we were designed to live.

From Faith to Action

Now let’s pause here for a moment.

This isn’t about earning your salvation through good deeds. That’s not what James is saying. Salvation is a free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. You don’t do anything to earn it. You simply receive it by believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9).

So if you’re reading this and you haven’t yet received that gift, that’s the first and only step right now: place your faith in Jesus. Call on His name. That’s where the journey begins.

But for those of us who are believers—who have received salvation—the call doesn’t stop at belief. That’s just the beginning.

After salvation comes sanctification—the process of becoming more like Jesus.And that process requires action.

James is speaking to believers who have heard the Word. He’s saying, “Now that you know who you are in Christ, start living like it.” Don’t stay stuck in spiritual infancy. Don’t just collect more knowledge. Step into the life God has called you to by obeying what He’s already revealed.

Spiritual Maturity Requires Movement

Obedience doesn’t always feel exciting. It’s not always flashy. Sometimes it looks like forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it. Or choosing honesty when lying would be easier. Or serving quietly when you’d rather be seen.

But those small acts of obedience? They shape your soul. They build Christlike character. They deepen your faith.

And over time, they lead to the blessing James talks about: a life of spiritual fruitfulness, freedom, and fellowship with God.

“He will be blessed in his doing.”— James 1:25

Notice the blessing comes in the doing, not just the knowing.

So, What Are You Doing With What You’ve Heard?

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard hundreds of sermons. You’ve read Scripture, journaled, listened to podcasts, underlined verses, maybe even led a Bible study or two.

But here’s the hard question James is asking:

What have you done with it?

Have you taken the Word you’ve received and allowed it to change your habits, your speech, your relationships, your attitude?

Or has it become background noise?

Today, James invites us back to the mirror—not to shame us, but to wake us up. To remind us that God’s Word is not just something to study—it’s something to live.

So let’s stop merely listening to the Word.

Let’s live the Word.

Let’s become the kind of people who not only hear what God says but obey Him with joyful hearts. Not out of duty, but out of devotion. Not to be saved, but because we are saved. Because we know that following Him leads to life.

Final Reflection

Maybe today’s the day you pick up something God told you to do a long time ago and actually do it. Maybe it’s forgiving someone, reaching out to a neighbor, stepping into a ministry, letting go of a habit, or simply sitting with His Word long enough to let it convict and change you.

You may have heard Him before.

Now is the time to respond.

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Prayer to End:

Lord, I don’t want to just hear Your Word—I want to live it. Help me not to walk away unchanged. Teach me to obey You in the little things, to act on what You reveal, and to trust that Your way leads to life. May I be a doer of the Word, for Your glory and my transformation. In Jesus’ name, amen.