A Doer Who Acts
I did not work in my garden today! I told Pastor John Engle at church today that the issue is, it takes me a week to do what I was able to do in a day before my illness. Debbie and I discovered that this was the first weekend in about four weeks that we did not go to Denver either on an errand, attending a conference or a visit to Lakewood.
Yesterday must have been a bigger day for me than I realized. I have been fairly fatigued. When this happens, usually through a combination of activity and lack of hydration, I told Debbie it feels like I was awake for 24 hours and am getting caught up on rest.
I read Debbie’s CaringBridge post for August 10, 2103 and realized that one year ago today is when they diagnosed me as being in a Myasthenia Gravis crisis. That prolonged my ICU stay and transfer to the Rehab Hospital, but it was a critical discovery to being able to treat my condition and save my life.
Last Sunday when we were at Southern Gables Church in Lakewood we saw our good friend Shirley Seitz and her daughter and son Nicolais (He goes by Nico). As a grandpa I couldn’t resist the little tike and tried to push him in my wheelchair. It went very slow and when I tried to get back into my chair, I ended up falling backwards to the ground. Small sacrifice for at least trying to bring pleasure to a little guy. Shirley sent me this picture I am posting from last week.
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY….“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves…..the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22,25 (ESV)
I like reading the Bible. I like listening to messages from the Bible that encourage, challenge and convict. In my youth I committed numerous passages of scripture to memory. But if I do an inventory on the amount of Biblical truth that I apply to my life on a consistent basis, I am sure the scales don’t balance out.
In his admonition to be “doers of the word” James sounds a warning against self deception. That means we take comfort in what we know, what we have been exposed to and we believe and feel that equates to spiritual growth and maturity. Yet is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is seen in our lives, it is the scripture put into practice what makes the difference.
When my son was young, I would begin to correct him on something and he would in his frustration quickly respond, “I know, I know!” Then in my frustration I would say, “no you don’t know or you would behave differently!” (I was thinking that if the words didn’t always come out at the time.)
The issue at risk is not spiritual merit, it is the joy of the Christian life. It is the path of blessing, being a “doer who acts” opposed to a “hearer who forgets.”
The Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5,6,7. It the longest teaching or compilation of the teachings of Jesus recorded in scripture. At the end Jesus wraps everything up by saying, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock….” (Matthew 7:24) Jesus went on to contrast the one who is a hearer only. “…everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” (Matthew 7:26)
Jesus said the difference in a person’s life is revealed when the storms of life beat against your house. It makes the difference between survival (life and blessing) or disaster.
I am thankful to “survive” the storm that was raging in my physical body one year ago. The challenges still remain both from an aspect of a physical recovery and the spiritual discipline of being a “doer who acts.” But I am committed to both.