DO WHAT IT SAYS

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22 (NLT)

People tend to think that it’s okay to watch and read all sorts of things as long as they realize they are not real. But whether we like it or not, what we look at, listen to and say are being planted and are growing in our hearts. The result is you can confuse your heart, or as James 1:22 says, deceive yourself.

What you do also has an effect on your heart. You may think it’s fine to break rules as long as no one finds out, but you’re planting things in the soil of your heart. You may not feel any difference today—just as a farmer can’t see anything for a day or even a week after he plants his crops—but you are affecting your ability to produce in that area.

If you’re inconsistent—you lie, then tell the truth; are faithful, and then cheat; pay your taxes, then evade them; are a good friend, then take advantage of people—your heart will be so conflicted you won’t know what will come out of it next. If you say you’re healed and the next minute complain about how it’s never going to get better, how can your heart believe?

Be careful what you say. And don’t listen to people who have no faith. Keep your eyes, ears, mouth and actions in line with what God has promised you!

Guard your heart by choosing carefully what you allow yourself to see, hear, say and do because whatever you continually allow into your world eventually flows out of you.