James 1:22-25

James 1:22-25

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ 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.

This is one of my favorite passages.  I think partly its because of James sarcasm.  So he says listening to the word of God and not doing it is like someone who looks in a mirror walks away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  That is just ridiculous, completely absurd, how does one even do that, they don't.   I am confident that I have never done that, yet often I have listened to the Bible or someone speaking the Bible and often do not live it.  How ridiculous, completely absurd and yet reality.  I think part of it is that I do not look beyond these couple of verses to verse 25.  Looking intently involves listening and action and when that happens freedom and blessing comes.  May not be the blessing that I define it as or the freedom that I define it as but it is freedom and blessing according to the word of God.  I think sometimes that is where the friction comes is that it does not look like or is not at all what I was looking for in freedom and blessing.  

So what to do ignore this instruction and lose out on blessing and freedom.  Or obey it and allow the freedom and blessing that only God can bring rain down on me.

Father today please help me to choose your way.  Give me the strength to choose your way and then the contentment to allow your freedom and blessing to be all that I need.