The second component to ezra710Living is to practice. I used a picture of a beautiful sturdy tree to depict practice. The large trunk and roots represent the foundation of studying God’s word, the branches represent reaching out to others. So, let’s take a closer look at what practicing God’s word should look like.
By diligently studying, growing in wisdom, and learning to be guided by the Lord we develop the conduit to practicing. You will begin to find yourself willingly obeying, truly believing, filled with further understanding of God, and an eager spirit to serve the purpose God has for you.
The Book of James is an excellent source to learn what it is to practice faith and works. James 1:22 tells us, “Be doers of the word and not just hearers, only deceiving yourselves.” Life Application New Testament Commentary states, “Faith and good deeds are as important to each other as body and spirit. Good deeds are not added to faith, instead, the right kind of faith is faith that works, that results in good deeds. Otherwise, Christianity is nothing more than an idea.”
Serving tends to be in opposition to human nature. We may lean to be more inclined to how we can be served, rather than giving service to others. The mature believer asks, who’s need can I meet today? This is the principle James was teaching, that we can’t just read and study the Bible, we must practice and do. Otherwise, we are only fooling ourself into believing we are living obediently for the Lord.
I would like to close with a nature analogy, since I love being taught through God’s creation. The photos in this post are the Sea of Galilee and Dead Sea in Israel. The Sea of Galilee represents practicing, you are filled with life giving water, growth and service become your purpose. Whereas, the Dead Sea is void of life-giving water, and there is no growth or serving. Become a doer of the Word, seek after God’s desires for you, lovingly serve, and you will find yourself seeking more opportunities to practice.
