(Ezekiel 33:32, James 1:23)
It’s easy to fall into the trap of hearing God’s Word without actually living it out. In both the Old and New Testaments, we are warned about the danger of being merely hearers and not doers of the Word.
In Ezekiel 33:32, the prophet speaks to the people of Israel, saying, “And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.”
The people listened to him as though they were listening to someone with a beautiful voice or a talented performer. They enjoyed hearing Ezekiel’s message, but they had no intention of putting it into practice.
This same problem can happen to Christians today. We may enjoy sermons, music, Bible studies, or devotionals, but if we don’t act on what we hear, we are no different than those in Ezekiel’s day.
James uses a powerful illustration in his epistle to describe the issue of hearing without doing.
In James 1:23-24, he writes, “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.”
James compares a hearer-only to someone who looks in a mirror, sees their reflection, and then immediately forgets what they saw.
A mirror is meant to show us areas that need attention—whether it’s a smudge on our face or a hair out of place. But if we walk away and do nothing to fix what the mirror revealed, then the mirror served no purpose.
Likewise, the Bible is a mirror for our spiritual lives. It reveals areas where we fall short and need to change, but if we don’t act on what it shows us, we are deceiving ourselves. This leads to spiritual complacency, where we feel content just listening without applying.
James doesn’t just leave us with a warning, though. He encourages us with the promise of blessing if we become doers of the Word. In James 1:25, he writes, “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.”
Obedience to God’s Word brings spiritual growth and blessings into our lives. It’s not enough to simply hear what God says; we must live it out daily.
Being a doer of the Word means serving others, sharing the gospel, and living out Biblical values in our life, not just in words.
The challenge for every believer is to move beyond just hearing and to allow God’s Word to transform our lives.
As Christians, we must ask ourselves: are we content to hear without doing, or are we committed to living out the truths we hear?
The blessing comes not in the hearing alone, but in doing what God has commanded. Let’s not be like those who hear with no intention of changing. Instead, let us be those who hear and respond in obedience, letting God’s Word shape every part of our lives.
