Weekly Lesson 13

DON’T JUSY SAY IT, DO IT

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “What you are doing speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you are saying.” In a much more direct way, Emerson was saying that actions speak louder than words. Your words will hold no weight if your behaviors do not correspond with what you say.

In one of the daily devotionals this week, we talked about the Lord and how sometimes we will be tested. What does that mean? It’s a way of saying that the Lord will allow or make something happen in your life to build and shape our character and faith. He’s allowing you and me to live out what we say and confess.

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Do your everyday actions prove that you are a follower of Jesus? Can people tell by watching your life and actions that you love Jesus? Listen to what James says about that.

James 1:22-24 But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the Word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

What is James saying? He’s saying that when we read the Bible, we should begin to put those words into action. Do not just read, “do not lie,” but quit lying! Do not just read,” do not steal,” but quit stealing! Our weekly devotionals are to help you become a better Christian, but they mean nothing if you just read them and do not try to live by them. James equates this behavior with looking into a mirror, then walking away and forgetting what we looked like. In other words, he is saying that reading our devotionals or the Bible should not be like doing our chores. It should not be something we just check off our lists of things we have to do, like washing the dishes, washing the trash, mowing the lawn, or doing homework. It should be a time that we spend with God in His Word to build our faith and character. And once we have spent that time with Him, we should walk away and begin to put those words into the way we live and the way we treat others. It should change our lives and actions!

Once we confess Christ, we begin a lifetime of learning to live like Him. Our instruction book is the Bible. It’s where God will speak to us. It’s where He will encourage and strengthen us. It’s the ultimate playbook! It’s where we learn Jesus’ game plan for our lives. It’s not just learning the things we should not do, but also the things we should do.

James, the brother of Jesus, writes this book to encourage all Christians, it still applies today. This Scripture deals with enduring trials and temptations, which we will call tests. By our words and actions, we communicate what we believe about Jesus and His gospel. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be his people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.

Do I praise and glorify God with my life? The path of life isn’t an easy path to walk. It’s filled with all kinds of trials, like sickness and disease, accidents, disappointments, and sufferings. When we trust Christ in our trials, we become a dynamic witness to all who see us. We demonstrate the power of Christ. When you’re going through a bad time, after it’s all done and everything falls back into place, you will get a feeling of accomplishment. You got through it! You are now experienced in that trial, and if it ever occurs again, you will be ready for it and be able to help others that might be going through the same thing.

Can anyone hear your confession of Christ, or do your actions drown out all that you say? Are you ready to let your actions speak of the love of Christ?


Go to Romans Road to Salvation and/or Prayer of Rededication

Christ Centered Champions

Christ Centered Champions

We are more than champions through him who loved us. Romans 8:37