Turn It On

Turn It On

James 1:19-27

“What time did you put dinner in the oven, Dad?” asked Davis, coming into the living room. “I’m ready to eat. It seems like we’ve been waiting a long time for that frozen lasagna to be ready.”

Dad had been making notes for a presentation he had to give the next day, but he put down his papers and pen. “The package said it needs to cook for fifty-five to sixty minutes,” he said. “An hour is almost up.”

“But I don’t even smell it cooking yet,” observed Davis.

“Oh no!” Dad exclaimed, jumping up and hurrying to the kitchen. “I read the directions and put it in the oven, but I never turned the oven on! Looks like dinner will take another hour.”

“But I’m starving!” Davis complained.

“And I’m sorry,” Dad apologized. “Let’s have some fruit to ease those hunger pangs.” He and Davis each chose a shiny red apple. “This mistake reminds me of what Pastor Ben was teaching us last Sunday,” added Dad. “Do you remember his message? He talked about how we so often hear God’s Word but don’t turn it on in our life.”

“Just like you put the lasagna in the oven but didn’t turn it on, huh?” said Davis.

Dad nodded. “Many times in Sunday school or church—or in our own devotions—we hear the truths about how to live as Christians. We even memorize key verses, but then we forget to ‘turn on’ the lessons and live them out in our life. The material just sits there cold.”

“Like our dinner,” said Davis.

“And when it sits there cold, we get into situations where we need to draw on certain principles, only to find that we’ve forgotten them,” continued Dad. “Then we’re left . . .”

“Hungry,” finished Davis.

“And unforgiving,” added Dad. “And unkind. And accusing.”

Davis grinned at his father. “Okay, Dad,” he said, “you’re forgiven, and I’ll try to remember to ‘turn on’ the lessons I’ve learned.” NEK

How about You?

Do you know lots of lessons from God’s Word? We’ve got to “turn them on” in our life so we’re ready to do his will when we need to each day.

Memorize:

“It is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself.” James 1:22

Apply God’s Lessons