Are you deceiving yourself?

James 1:22 (New International Version)

²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

This is a very well known verse. Why?

Because we need to hear it so often. One of our common fleshly traits is that we learn something and we believe we’re good to go.

I know, not you…but people I know.

We may read a book on leadership, attend an insightful seminar, or get guidance from a mentor but if we do not take action on what we learned it is useless. In fact you are deceived!

Deceive: to cause to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid

Deception is different than being wrong. There are many things in our lives that we know are wrong. When you know you’re wrong, then your know what to correct.

When we’re deceived we actually think we’re right. We are not doing the right things yet we think in our hearts that we are.

We actually believe reading good books, going to great seminars, or even attending church are the right things. Are they bad, of course not.

But there are plenty of people who read great books and go to seminars that aren’t making a dollar in their business. There are even people who attend church on a regular basis who aren’t going to heaven.

As this verse so beautifully says…Do what it says!

Here are four ways we can “Do What it says.”

• Record: How are you going to remember what it says unless you take notes. We can’t remember where are keys are, we’re sure not going to remember some amazing truth or principle.
• Review: We listened, we took notes, we came home and stuffed the notebook on a shelf never to be opened again. That will not help us do what it says. We should review and remind ourselves of what we learned.
• Respond: Take action on a new principle. Put it to use. Unless that word, that becomes a thought, that becomes a note, becomes an activity, you’re still deceived.
• Repeat: We can create positive habits in our lives only when we repeat positive actions. Habits come from repetition like muscles at the gym. We must work out the lessons of life to become emotionally, physically, and spiritually strong.

Heading into a new year is a great time to reflect on what we are putting into practice. Ask yourself, “What do I know that I know I’m not doing?”

About the Author: William Robbins is the founder of MLMFellowship, and the owner of iWantMoreWealth.com with his wife Bethany. Learn more about William and Bethany.