comparing the Word to weight watchers!

"Do not merely listen to the Word and so decieve yourselves. DO what it says. anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. but the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he las heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.
(James 1:22-25)

I am pondering this (along with all of james) God is really bringing the Word to life in so many areas. This was a new thought I had this morning. Now God has led me to this verse.

I've been thinking about law and grace. Jesus came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it. I think i may be getting this. Because when you read through the old testament, you will read many many laws and how the people of God had to sacrifce animals in order to atone their sins. I thank God often that I don't live in "preJesus" times. I either would have been stoned or ran out of rams to sacrifice!

Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness. He believed in God, that faith coupled with faith in action was credited as righteousness.
So what was the law for, if we are no longer "under law" but under grace?

I started comparing it to Weight Watchers. Seems funny, but it fits.
When I first started WW, I was WAY off the wagon. At nearly 200 pounds, eating out of control and had no idea where to start, I followed the WW's laws.

At first I spent all my time consuming most of my thoughts with learning the laws. How many points was this? WOW!!! A DONUT IS 6 POINTS!! I had no idea! Oh WOW, THIS is good for me?

Then I spend my time practicing the laws on a daily basis. writing down everything I ate, until after a few months, I didn't have to look in my WW book anymore. I had memorized the point laws. I could just eat and count, without too much effort.

The Word above in James says that the law gives freedom. I've heard that most of my christian life. That Jesus came to give freedom THROUGH the law.
I think I'm starting to wrap my brain ( I mean spirit) around this.
The laws of God are there for our own good, our own protection. They bring blessings and peace. I think of when I got my 200$ seat belt ticket! I was ticked for a moment, but then rememebered that this law was put in place to SAVE MY LIFE!
God's laws are the same. And have many more abundant promises to them.

Now, with ALL the awesome laws i've learned from WW, I have been given many tools. I could "count points" till I was 101 years old. But to be honest, that would kinda suck! Or, of course I could choose to not follow the laws (but then I'd be 200 pounds again and very depressed) God would still love me. But God wants to show me how to live in freedom. I don't count anymore, because I counted for SO LONG, that I know what a healthly eating day should generally look like. I don't need those strict boundries anymore.

Now about God's law:
I have the law in my heart. I carry it with me. Just like after I've looked in the mirror. But instead of following the law out of duty, and carry out the cycle of behavior modification, I do what the law says, because I BELIEVE what it says. I trust it. I know the God of this word is blessing me through it. I can see now that God is pleasure not the other way around!

James 1: 21 says to humbly accept the word PLANTED in you, which can save you!
in verse 18 it says that God chose to give me new birth through the word of truth.
I think the answer is in the word.....duh!!!