Scripture:
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 who looks intently at his face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-27
Reflection:
My wife the other day made one of those statements that really caught my attention, not that she doesn’t make great statements all the time mind you! Have you had the experience where someone says something and it sticks in your heart and you know that you know, that the Holy Spirit is the one making it stick?
She reflected on a moment in time at 21 years old when she made a life-altering decision. She said she had a picture in her heart of who she wanted to become. She said – “This is who I am, but this is who I am going to become!” That sparked a conversation about the difference between those two questions “Who am I,” (something so many people are trying to figure out) and “Who am I becoming?”
It reminded me of the verse above found in the book of James. Before I unpack the verse, first let’s talk a little bit about mirrors. In the ancient world, mirrors would be made of polished silver, bronze, or gold. They are not too unlike the ones we have today in quality, except that in antiquity they were highly prized and considered a very valuable possession.
Many of the mirrors at that time were decorated with images of Greek gods like Eros, the god of desire, or Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. Mirrors were a bit of a status symbol and were considered to be one of the most precious objects one could own during the first century.
The Apostle James uses this image of a mirror to highlight an important question. Are you applying the valuable tool of God’s Word as a hearer or doer? Putting it another way, do you casually “glance in the mirror of God’s Word” or are you taking the time for God’s Word to do a comprehensive review of who you are? It touches on the very important questions of “who am I” and “who am I becoming!” The constant challenge for me is to always ask the question, “Lord what do you want to say to me today from your word. Sometimes it is tough, like this morning when I was reading the book of Amos. There is a whole lot of judgment in that book and it’s hard to find a personal application, yet I still think it is important to dig and inquire of the Lord, even in books like Amos or Numbers!
I must ask the Lord for wisdom and understanding. Am I going to look intently into the mirror and see that I was created in God’s image? Will I see someone who is loved or someone who is striving for love? Will I act upon God’s word and trust that I am becoming more like Jesus?
Just maybe, as I look into the mirror of God’s word, I will see that I am someone who encourages others and is an advocate for the less fortunate. Maybe I will see that I can become someone who listens to others and is a shoulder to cry on or I am someone who is an answer to their prayer.
Am I becoming someone who is more like Jesus because I am willing to pause and look into the mirror of God’s Word? Who do I long to see in that mirror? Who am I becoming as I move toward God’s plans for my life?
During these next few days, let’s remember that we all need to make a daily decision to look into the mirror of God’s word and not forget who we are becoming as we pursue Christ.
Becoming more like him!
David
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