During a recent festival I was speaking with the son of a key business leader in the community. Everyone was slightly nervous around this guy because he had a reputation for being duplicitous. He was highly involved and influential in the church, connected to top national leaders, but had taken advantage of many people.

During the conversation, the Lord startled me by putting a strong burden in my heart to share this passage with him. So, by God’s grace, He gave me the boldness and authority to gently deliver the passage from James 1:22. “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.” I concluded with a clear challenge, that if he desired blessing upon his life, he must be a doer of the word and he must walk in holiness before the Lord. I was not surprised that he responded in a very sober manner, and actually opened up in regards to his disobedience. What an opportunity!

Has God challenged you to speak to someone recently? Maybe there is a family member or friend who has walked away from the truth. As we reach our world, let’s remember not to be a hearer of the word only, but a doer of it as well.     This is Andrew Palau.