There is nothing better during the spring and summer than to spend an evening at a baseball game. Growing up, my family had season tickets to our local minor-league team, the Shreveport Captains. I spent several summers learning the ins and outs of baseball while eating hotdogs. After a while, I started to call the pitches that I would throw to a particular batter. I knew the teams, the lineups, and who might end up in the big leagues before the end of the season. I learned it all from the dutiful teacher sitting in the seat next to me each game, my dad. I began to apply the strategy that I learned sitting next to my dad to my own softball games. I could anticipate when my opponents were about to steal or bunt. I knew which pitch to call when certain players were up to bat. I became a better player by using those lessons.
In the letter that James wrote, he explained in detail the traits of Christians who are mature in their faith. In James 1:22–25, James calls for Christians to take action and be doers of the word. It isn’t enough just to hear the word. We must apply the word to how we live our lives each day. James goes on to say that anyone who acts on their faith will be blessed. He explains later in verse 18 that obeying the word in your daily life should be a result of being saved. Faith and action should be tied together if we are believers.
Our desire to learn more about our faith through the word should grow. Wherever you spend time and energy, you learn more, just like my summers learning about baseball next to my dad. The real win for me was applying those lessons to my softball skills. It wasn’t enough to just hear about the strategy behind each play. I had to take action.