Applying to Your Life

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 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: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 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. James 1:22-25

So what does it mean to be “doers of the word”? As James taught, it is very important to apply the word to your life and not just hear the word. Doing the word is more than an idea -- a concept we talk about, read about or write about; it is an act or action. For example, just knowing and believing that you should begin each day reading your Bible and talking with God is not the same as actually doing it.

The purpose of this chapter is to build on the knowledge shared in the previous chapters and help you be a doer of the word in your daily life. To underscore the truth represented in this chapter, true personal experiences of faithful “doers of the word” are included as a witness to the empowerment of a daily walk. The testimonies that follow are not mere admonitions, but examples of real people “doing the word” and the benefits that result.