effectual doing

Last night I started reading a book my friend Carolyn gave me for Christmas called His Chosen Bride. There was a quote in the author's note that jumped out at me- I don't have it with me right now so I can't quote it word for word, but the essense was, "No matter how together you seem to be on the outside, it's where you are with God in your heart that really counts." (It didn't sound that cheesy when the author said it, btw.)

As seemingly obvious as that concept is, it set thinking about how obsessed I've become with looking like a good Christian, and how much stock I put in a few very small things about my life that are more or less in place, especially when I compare myself to others, which is terrible. Then I stumbled upon this passage in James:

"For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of a person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:23-27)

I just thought that was a really good reminder right in line with what I'd read in my book. It's really easy to have a lot of fancy religion in the head, without any of it actually reaching my lifestyle.