Walking the Walk vs. Talking the Talk: Tips to Become a “Doer” and Not Just a “Hearer”
Written By: Alexandria King
The Word of God is powerful though at times, people view it as only good sentiments or beautiful quotes. While a surface level interaction with the Bible is a very great start, James urges us to dig deeper. James Chapter 1 verses 22–24 says: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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.”
James uses a metaphor to explain that surface level exchanges with the Bible make for a fleeting relationship with God. You may know the truth in the moment you hear it, but without applying your revelation, it can fall flat without a lasting impact. Many Christians struggle with the concept of Walking the Walk and not just Talking the Talk (I know I have). In this article I’ll give you some practical tips that help me to put God’s word into practice and lead me into a lifestyle that glorifies God.
1. Daily “yes” to God
When you first begin living a Godly lifestyle, it may seem daunting to completely apply everything you’ve learned all at once. But it is important to remember that God helps us to walk in his ways according to Ezekiel 36: 26. Keeping that in mind, a good approach to easing into your new lifestyle is to take your relationship with God day by day. When you spend your daily time with God, commit to saying yes to everything he speaks to your heart within that space of time. Starting with a daily “yes” to God coaches you into becoming an active participant in your relationship with him. While sitting and listening to him is good, listening and then daily applying is even better. The daily approach to becoming a doer lessens the load and causes you to focus on doing the right thing in the now instead of worrying about tomorrow and how long you can keep up the lifestyle.
Scriptures that point me toward taking my relationship with God day by day:
Luke 9:23 “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
2. Get into a community (good influences)
Community! Community! Community! I can’t stress this tip enough. Getting into a Christian community of good influences substantially changed my walk with Jesus and my life overall. We live in a world of influencers and following Instagram pages of our favorite styles or diet choices. In making these social media decisions, we realize how much who we follow or surround ourselves with impacts us. When we surround ourselves with Godly community it encourages and influences us to choose Godly actions. As we see others close to us pursuing a God led lifestyle we know it’s possible for us to do so as well. Christian community inspires us to Walk the walk of our faith.
Scriptures that push me towards pursuing Christian community are:
Hebrews 10:25 “Not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Proverbs 13:20 “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”
3. Serve others
One of the biggest tips to transition from just talking the talk to actually going and walking the walk is to serve others. It’s one of the most practical steps towards practicing what we preach. In serving others, we can be more like Christ and let our light shine in the world. We can show people, instead of just telling people, who God is by extending the love, grace, and help that God extends to us. Serving others helps us to be Christ like and shifts us to becoming doers instead of just hearers. Serving others is active participation in the word of God and putting works behind our faith.
Scriptures to meditate on when thinking about this tip are:
James 2:14–17 “What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
4. Be accountable
Have you ever been in a Sunday service and heard a message about a sin you’re struggling with and you decide to turn over a new leaf, but that new leaf won’t quite stay turned over? When struggling to be committed to your Christian lifestyle, accountability is a great option to keep you on track. In The Parable of the Sower in Matthew, Jesus talks about the consequences of just being solely a hearer of the word.
The Parable of the Sower:
Matthew 13:20–22 “The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
In the Parable of the Sower, we see that it may be hard for us to actually carry out the word of God because: we’re not deeply rooted in God, it’s a lot of trouble to stick with it, or we may be preoccupied with the cares of our culture. Yielding to and maintaining a consistent relationship with God removes the prior reasons for an unfruitful Christian walk. Having accountability helps us to maintain a consistent relationship with God. Accountability encourages us to keep that leaf turned over. But what does accountability look like? It can look like sharing an area you struggle with, with a trusted mentor or friend and asking them to encourage you and/or check in on you about it daily, weekly, or monthly. Accountability provides you with a physical relationship that keeps you encouraged and responsible.
Scriptures that lead me towards wanting to be accountable are:
Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”
Galatians 6:2 “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Hopefully this article causes you to question if your life with God is surface level and if so, I pray that these tips can help you dig deeper (like they help me). When we engage with the word of God on a deeper level and pledge to practice what we preach, we can experience a fuller relationship with God. We can also exhibit an authenticity in our walk that causes other people to want to follow Jesus. Walking the Walk impacts our lives and the lives of others on a larger scale than just Talking the Talk. I pray that you stay encouraged while committing to a lifestyle that glorifies God! :)
