The definition of the word “try,” is to make an attempt or effort to accomplish something. The definition of the word “do,” is to perform, carry out, execute, finish something. I wanted so desperately to do what God was telling me to do in His word because I really loved Him and wanted to please Him. It seemed like every time I tried to obey, I couldn’t. That is, until I stoped trying and just did.
James 1:21-25 King James Version (KJV)
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 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:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 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.
For years I heard what God was asking me to do. But if I am honest, I was not ready to follow through. My lack of obedience was not because I could not obey, it was because I would not obey. I was not ready to give God total control of my life, but I told people that I was a follower, a Christian. I however left some decisions up tp me. Where did it get me? In a mask and paranoid that I would get found out and called out that I really did not trust God. I had so many things and ways that I wanted to change:
- I want to try to get up everyday to spend time with God.
- I want to try not to cuss out someone who upsets me.
- I want to try to read my Bible everyday.
- I want to try to pray everyday.
- I want to try to spend more time with my loved ones.
- I want to try to fast.
All they things I was trying to do were good, but nothing was getting accomplished. I was a hearer only and not a doer. The only one deceived was me. I was a chronic try-er but not a doer. Something had to change, and it did.
Philippians 2:5-8 King James Version (KJV)
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
One thing that encouraged me about this passage was that Jesus did not try, he just did. Jesus was a doer. He showed me that doers DO. I can DO all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). The difference between trying and doing is the choice to finish. So the statements reevaluated as a doer would look like this:
- I
want to try toget up everyday to spend time with God. - I
want to try not todo NOT cuss out someone who upsets me. - I
want to try toread my Bible everyday. - I
want to try topray everyday. - I
want to try tospend more time with my loved ones. - I
want to try tofast.
And if we want to take it a step further, we add a “why,” to the reason we do:
- I get up everyday to spend time with God because I want to share my heart with Him and hear His heart for me for the day
- I do NOT cuss out someone who upsets me because I want them to receive the love of God from me, which is hard to do once you’ve cussed someone out
- I read my Bible everyday because I trust that when I do, I will receive an answer to the questions I am asking and and instruction to follow through to bring God glory
- I pray everyday because it is not normal or healthy to not talk to the One you are in love with everyday.
- I spend more time with my loved ones because they matter to me and I want them to be confident of my love for them.
- I fast to bring my flesh into obedience to what my spirit is instructed by Good to do. If I do not, it will be at war with my spirit and likely win.
What are you going to do today? God is so loving that He allows us to hear His Word, His love, and make a choice. What is your choice today?
#doersDO #refreshher
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