James 1:22-25 says, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
In August of 1988, Nike launched a 20 million dollar campaign to make up ground that they had lost to their competition such as Reebok. The new slogan was short and catchy, and it revolutionized Nike’s future. The slogan was "Just Do It.” This same approach to God’s Word would revolutionize the future of this next generation journey. We must ask ourselves this question, “Do we want to pass down a Christianity that turns a partial ear to God’s Word, or one that follows after its precepts with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength?” It is not enough to hear; we must “Just do It.” Receiving, reading, remembering, and reflecting on the Word of God are all useless if we fail to put them into practice. We must become doers of the Word. It is imperative that our sons and daughters see us being doers of the Word, but it is such a battle to accomplish this kind of obedience. Satan fights so intensely against us when we strive to practice what we hear from God’s Word. See, the devil doesn’t mind you going to Bible studies as long as you don’t do anything with what you learn. We fool ourselves when we assume that just because we have heard or read or studied a truth, we have internalized it. Possessing the Word of God, even in our hearts, is not sufficient. There must be a resolve and determination to do what it says. Hearing of the Word must be followed by obedience to the Word; otherwise the hearing is useless. John Calvin said, "The doer is he who from the heart embraces God’s word and testifies by his life that he really believes." That is how our Lord wants us to be. Jesus once said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” (Luke 11:28). Change the next generation, not just by hearing the word, but in deed! GOD’S MAN CHALLENGE Don’t just hear it, go do it! GOD’S MAN PRAYER Lord, may Thy Word be a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. AMEN
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