A failure to practice the Word of God causes us to forget who we are. While hearing and humbly receiving the Word of God are essential (James 1:19-21), we “delude” ourselves if we do not also believe it necessary to become a “doer of the Word” (James 1:22, NASB 95). If we fail to act upon the Scriptures, we will be like the forgetful man in James 1:23,24. As soon as he looked away from the mirror, he immediately forgot who he was. The moment we stop applying and living the Word of God is the moment we will forget who we are in Christ and what we should be doing as His followers.
This past week, we have had a wonderful opportunity to hear the Word of God. The 2025 Arise Spiritual Growth Workshop has been a time to be spiritually fed, motivated, and encouraged. However, if we fail to apply these lessons and become “doers of the Word,” we will become nothing more than “forgetful hearers” (James 1:25). It is just like the old idiom states, “If you don’t use it, you’ll lose it.” Think back to some of the lessons we heard during Arise. Do we need to pray more? Let’s make our own personal prayer list and pray them to God (1 Thessalonians 5:17, John Baker). Do we need to prioritize our time better? Let’s reflect on our calendar and bank account and choose to spend more time and money with the Church and on Her work (Matthew 6:33, Andy Baker). Do we believe and practice what we proclaim? Let’s spend time taking the Gospel to the lost by greeting a visitor, neighbor, or friend, and choose to have spiritual conversations with them (Matthew 28:18-20, BJ Clarke). After a weekend of hearing the Word of God, may we never become a “forgetful hearer.” Apply the lessons from the pages of scripture and become the “effectual doer” who is “blessed in whatever he does” (James 1:25).
-Bryce Mayfield