We need to be careful how we respond to and interact with God's Word. The Bible says in James that we can deceive ourselves when it comes to God's Words.
Some people get into "religious mode" and they act a certain way and base spirituality on the way they act or don't act. Others, will hear the Word of God, but will never act upon what they heard. Rarely do we listen to a message and think, "That message was for me!"
What have you done with God's Word? You hear it taught. You underline certain passages. You memorize Scriptures. But, do you ask God what it means to you? Do you question what God would have you do with what you've learned or heard?
If we only hear the Word, but go away doing nothing with it, you are deceiving yourself. Deceiving others is easy. But, deceiving yourself is dangerous, because we don't see anything wrong.
James likens it to someone looking in a mirror and maybe they see something wrong, something that needs fixed. And, they turn around and forget about it. They don't remember there's something to fix. And that's how some people approach the Bible, "Oh, something is wrong with my relationship with God." But, once the service is over you forget about what needed attention.
Things that you ignore, or let go, will cause problems for you in the future. You can forget to fix something for only so long before the consequences of letting this thing fester.
Matthew 7 tells of two different types of people- one who heard and acted who is a wise man and one who heard and ignored or forgot and is a foolish man. The end of the wise man was blessed, but the end of the foolish man was great destruction.
God says that you have to examine what's wrong and do something about it if you want a blessing.
Are you a wise man who wants a blessing? Or, are you like the man who forgets what he saw and lets it go until it's a great destruction?
