“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22
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Often, athletes who have recovered from significant injuries will speak of working to get back into “game shape.” There’s being in shape, and then there’s being in “game shape.” The implication is that competing at the highest levels of a sport requires a degree of conditioning that can’t quite be approximated in any other manner.
No matter how much film athletes watch, or how long they run on a treadmill, or how much weight they lift, nothing prepares them perfectly for the physical rigors of the competition itself. They will need to actually play in some games in order to get back into “game shape,” like they were before their extended absence.
When it comes to following Jesus, you may think you’re growing in faith if you’ve subscribed to 10 different faith-based podcasts, have a stack of faith-based books on your shelf, and listened to Christian music on your way to work this morning. But that is not necessarily the case.
In James 1:22, we are called to not only hear the Word, but also act according to it. It’s a wonderful thing to surround yourself with wise teaching from Scripture. But don’t deceive yourselves into believing that sanctification is occurring in your life just because you hear the truths of Scripture — you must be doers of Scripture. Only then will you deepen your relationship with Him, becoming obedient to His commands and trusting in His promises. You must be an active participant rather than a passive consumer in order to truly get into “game shape.”
Injury rehab and other bodily training prepares you as best as possible for a sport, just like listening to wise Biblical teaching prepares you for life, but it is no substitute for actually living out the Christian life. Hear God’s Word, and then follow it. Don’t simply talk about following God and then find you’re not in “game shape” when bad fruit is the result.
— Kevin Mercer
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