TRANSFORMATION
But be doers
of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22
If you don't
need to be changed, then maybe you don't need the Bible. If you have it all together and don't have any
questions or conflicts in your life, if you
feel that your life is perfect, then you won't be all that interested in the
Bible.
But if you are
like most people and are aware of your weakness and your inadequacy, if you are aware of your
need for God, then you will be thankful to know that the Word of God is perfect, and it can transform you and help you to be
the person God called you to be. We are told in Psalm 19:7-8 that God's Word
transforms us: "The law of the Lord
is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise
the simple." The word "converting" also could be translated "reviving," "restoring," or
"transforming." When you
read God's Word, it will revive you. It will restore you. It will transform
you.
But it is not
enough just to read the Bible. You must understand it, and then you must obey it. James 1:22-24 tells us,
"But be doers of the word, and not
hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and
not a doer, he is like a man observing his
natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately
forgets what kind of man he was."
Like a
mirror, the Bible exposes errors in our lives. It shows us something we need to do, something we need to correct.
And if we don't, we are like someone who
looks at his reflection in a mirror but doesn't heed what he sees. The same is true when we don't apply the Word
of God to our lives. Any time we read the Word of God, our aim is to be revived, restored and transformed by
it.
Prayer: Ask the Lord to increase your understanding of His Word and change every
area of your life to conform to His Word.
Scriptural Reading: James 1:21-27
