James Week Two

Putting Faith into Practice: Looking in the MirroR

Read: James 1:19-27

Children are often fascinated by their reflections. When Sjon-Paul was little (and the only child at the time), he would play ball with the boy in the mirror. He would toss the ball and wait for it to hit the glass. Then he would run and get it, as if the reflection had thrown it back.

As adults, we are so used to seeing our own reflections that we give little thought to how the process works. So, when I read James 1:23-25, I had to really think about this comparison.

James writes, “For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You will see your yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says, and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

In order to understand this passage, I think we need a refresher on how mirrors work. When light hits an uneven surface, it scatters. But, put simply, when light hits a smooth surface, it bounces back intact, providing an undisturbed image/reflection.

Remember, this message is written to believers. James tells us that in his greeting at the beginning of the letter. As such, he expects that there will be great appreciation for God’s word. He doesn’t question whether or not they will be hearing or even listening to what God says. His instructions presume that. The problem seems to be with whether or not they will obey.

We are often in the same boat. I would venture to say that all of us, especially those of us who claim to be Christ-followers, believe that the Bible is God’s Word. As such, we listen as preachers preach about it. We read what Christian authors have to say about it. Sometimes, we even pick it up and study it for ourselves. But the question still remains. Do we obey it?

James says that if we don’t, it’s like looking in a mirror and forgetting what we look like right after we walk away.

My eyes are hazel. I have what used to be called “dirty blonde” hair, but these days it’s more of a grayish-brown. My lids droop, and I have dark circles underneath my eyes, causing me to look perpetually tired. If I am not wearing make-up, you will notice dark areas on my cheeks, age spots, a particularly large and irksome one on the bridge of my nose. I wear glasses most of the time, but sometimes I will sport contacts if I want to look a little more “spiffy.”

I remember what I look like.

I bet you remember what you look like as well.

It’s not something we easily forget.

God’s Word is like the smoothest surface of the most perfect mirror you could ever find. It gives us an accurate representation of who we are, who we are as sinners before knowing Christ and who we are as daughters and sons of the King after coming to know Him. The Light emitting from the Word does not scatter. It does not deflect. Through it, God gives us the perfect reflection of Himself, of ourselves, and of this world. So, when we read it or listen to it but refuse to obey it, it’s as insane as saying that we can simply forget what we look like after walking away from a mirror.

Obedience is not an option if you truly know Christ. It is as natural as knowing your hair color, eye color, or the fact that you have bags under your eyes.

Of course, this isn’t to say that we will be perfect. After all, I can’t tell you precisely how many age spots I have on my face. I don’t know exactly how many gray hairs are on my head. We will never, this side of eternity, be perfectly obedient to God’s Word. However, we can be sure of this. If we aren’t even trying, then we’re lying:

• Trying to listen more and speak less

• Trying not to let our tempers get the better of us

• Trying to rid our lives of evil

• Trying to accept God’s Word as truth

• Trying to take care of those in need

• Trying to remain uncorrupted by the world’s negative influences.

So, the next time you look in the mirror, think of this. This is what James is telling us. This is what James means. This is putting faith into practice.

This Week

• Work on memorizing James 1:22. Commit to reading/saying it three times every day.

• Read James 1:19-27 every day.

• Look at all the commands given in this passage. Which is the hardest for you to obey? Confess it to God and ask for His help in that area this week.