What We Don't Do

James 4:17
Anyone then who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

I am a big time rule follower. If you tell me not to do something, I won’t do it. I don’t want to get caught doing something wrong. When I do get caught, I am mortified. I hope no one will ever find out.

That’s why this one note from the book of James worries me a little bit. See, James is telling us that not only are we accountable for what we do, but also what we don’t do. That’s rough.

I look at my life and there are places I could do things that I haven’t. There are relationships that are broken that could be healed. There are jobs to be done that I never find time for. There’s a call to teach God’s word that I still haven’t answered. Yet, no one would know these, except God (and now you).

I have trouble, however thinking of these as sins. When I think of sin, I think of murder, adultery, stealing, the BIG sins. I don’t think of the little things. And yet, if James is right, I’m wrong.

Lately, I’ve come to realize that sin is anything that draws us away from God. It interferes with the intimate relationship he desires with us. When I think of it that way, these small things are like bricks in a wall, stacking up one by one, separating me from my Father.

I gain a lot of insight about my heavenly relationships from my earthly relationships. So I’m going to use an earthly example of how things left undone can build a wall.

I have been married to my best friend for nine years. Those nine years have provided endless opportunities for mistakes and growth. One area I have been forced to grow in is conflict resolution. See, I avoid conflict at all costs. So early in our marriage, when a conflict would arise, I would shove it away, so that a fight would not happen. It looked something like this:

Wife: “Do you want to go out to eat tonight?”
Husband: “Actually I’m pretty tired.”
Wife: “Okay.”

Then I would spend the entire night sulking and angry. I’d stomp around the house, frustrated and hurt. A brick would be added to the wall between us. Each avoided argument would result in a brick being added to the wall, until it took amazing effort to break it down.

That’s how it is with God. Each time we ignore his call for us, we add a brick to the wall. Each time we see someone hurting and turn away, we add a brick. God wants us to be close, with no walls between us. Let’s strive to listen to God, both by not doing what is wrong and by doing what is right. Let’s break down that wall.

Heavenly Father,
We know that you call us to refrain from that which is bad and to do things that are good. Help us to stay close to you by following your call. Break down the walls that keep us from you. Pull us close to you so that we can be your hands and feet.
Amen.