Marsha's Musings: Spiritual Blessings (James 1:23-25 NKJV)

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:23-25 NKJV)

We are not doers of the work to gain merit with God and get into heaven.  We are doers of the work because we have been saved by grace.  Our work is not merely centered on what it will get us, but out of thankfulness for what God has done for us.  So we look into the perfect law of liberty, the Bible, and continue in it to learn what pleases God and we strive to do what pleases Him and we will be blessed in what we do not so much in terms of material blessing but spiritual blessing and spiritual growth in Christ-likeness.  

All too often we read this with a self centered attitude.  We look at it that being blessed in what we do means material blessings.  If we put the right coins in the spiritual vending machine then we get material/health blessings in return.  This is not the right idea.  This the idea of the health and wealth preachers.

God is far more concerned with blessing us spiritually than He is physically or materially.  After all, we can't take anything else with us to heaven except our spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus!