Practice What You Preach

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread, and he was such a vixen in today's devotional practice what you preach and share a funny but humbling story about how God used my son to help me grow spiritually. I started reading the Bible to my sons when my youngest Xavier entered kindergarten I would look for teachable moments and share versus that would apply to our circumstances and encourage them to pray with me. Xavier memorize Scripture without even trying. If we were in a predicament in which we needed wisdom. He blurted out versus shine the light on God's truth. One day I got angry and spoke harshly within his ear shot.

My son hugged me and said practice what you preach mama Xavier's gentle reminder echoes the wise counsel James as he addressed Jewish believers in Jesus scattered in various countries highlighting the various ways sin can interfere with our witness for Christ. James encourage them to humbly accept the word planted in them by hearing, but not obeying Scripture were like people look in the mirror and forget what we look like we can lose sight of the privilege we've been given as image bearers made right with God to the blood of Christ believers in Jesus are commanded to share the gospel. The Holy Spirit changes as well empowering us to become better representatives, and therefore messengers of the good news is our loving obedience helps us reflect the light of God's truth in love. Wherever he sends us, we can point others to Jesus by practicing what we preach today's Our Daily Bread devotional Scripture reading is from James chapter 1 verses 19 to 27, my dear brothers and sisters, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it, not forgetting what they have heard, but doing they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious, and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless.

Religion that God our father accepts as pure and faultless is this to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. Let's pray. Loving God thanks for reminding us to be lifelong learners eager to honor and please you as we live in loving obedience to your holy word.

Please make us more like you so we can use every opportunity you give us to share your love with others.

In Jesus name we pray.

Amen. Today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread ministries