James 1:23-24: “Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”
The Word is like a mirror, for what do you use a mirror? To get an ACCURATE reflection of yourself. I found it interesting that “Someone” in NIV is the word for “a male…” How many women always have mirrors with them or around them? You see, women intuitively what to do with a mirror, not us men!
I have found that a mirror is more honest than a photo. If we were to take a selfie, we would be able to add filters, change things around, and even take as many as we needed to get the perfect picture. You can’t do that with a mirror. It is a real-time reflection of reality.
The Bible is like a mirror that is held up to your life (and the world). Psalm 139:23-24: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Like a mirror, the Bible shows what is wrong. It accurately diagnoses the problem and gives the best prescription. But before I receive any benefit from that knowledge, I need to apply what I learned. This means we confess sin, do the good deeds that God has prepared for us to do, and worship God.
One of my favorite places to go is the fair. This past year, I took my daughter through the “Hall of mirrors.” We were amazed at all of the different types of mirrors. Some are fractured, some are warped. We didn’t get a single accurate reflection when were there.
We are to look at the perfect mirror, God’s Word. When we are looking at the Word, we are not only looking at a book, but we are looking at a person, THEE PERSON, Jesus Christ. In John 1, we learn “the Word became flesh…” This is Jesus.
Don’t be a fool! Matthew 7:24-27: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Buteveryone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Some things to consider:
– What are some false mirrors in our life?
-What are some false standards we hold our life up to? Others? “I’m not as bad as them.” The World?
-When you look in the mirror of God’s Word, what does it say about your life?
-As you read the Bible, do you feel like a wise person or a fool?
Photo by Alex Lopez on Unsplash
Scott Maxon 