JUST DO IT!

Just Do It! took the sporting world and marketing circles by storm in 1988, with a clever marketing scheme put together by the industry leader in sporting gear, Nike. Everyone waited for the next commercial, endorsement, and shirt. The idea stuck, and it was meant too. The same concept can be linked to those who sat in the audience of orators back in ancient Greek. This advertising tool can be traced back to the Bible in James 1:22, where it reads, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves, do what it says." This lone verse can be related to the people who would sit and listen to the great orators. As a matter of fact these people would follow great scholars & speakers from town to town, and listen to the same message over and over. However, they only wanted to listen and would not activate or do anything that was said. The writer of this passage comes along and encourages us. The Greek word kroates found in this passage describes those who would not take any action, or just do it. They would sit listen and get up and sit and listen. Too many times, we have people in the church, who do the same thing. They hear a great pastor get up and preach a message, and then sit back and do absolutley nothing to apply it to their every day life. The idea behind James 1:22 is to call people to action and apply the life principles and challenges they may hear weekly or read in God's Word to our everyday lives and "do it." As you pick up your WORD this year and dig into it, may you find new and creative ways that you can "do what it says." There are plenty of online sites that can offer assitant in finding reading plans, and I encourage you to do so this year. You will find it both rewarding and refreshing. Nike may have brought "JUST DO IT" to the public arena, but we are challenged in the same light by James 1:22 to get beyond reading and listening and applying the truth of scripture to our life. So, it's been said before and I'll say it again: When it comes to application of God's Word to your life- Just Do It!