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 observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25
This scripture came to mind today as I had a chat with my daughter.
We were talking about my vehicle. I had recently put tinting on the windshield to help with the glare of the sun. It is something Breanne had done on her vehicle and it stopped her from having headaches caused by the brightness of the sun.
While it did darken my windshield and really cooled off the vehicle, I could not keep it on. I had to have it removed. For some reason, on this vehicle, it created a mirror image of the dashboard. It gave me a headache. It was as if I was always looking at a mirrored image of the dashboard through the windshield.
The funny thing is before I had the tint put on the windshield, I did not notice that the dash was always visible in the windshield. However, after it was illuminated by the mirrored look of the tint, I notice it constantly. Apparently, Breanne does too.
She said to me today, “thanks Mom, I never noticed Brandon’s dash in his truck windshield until you had that put on your vehicle, now I see his dash in his windshield too.”
I responded, “Oh I know, I have never in my life noticed that on a vehicle until that mirrored looking tint, now it is all I can see.”
Then it hit me. That’s exactly what happens when we look into the mirror of the word of God. At least if we choose to be doers of the word of God.
We look into His word and see how we are supposed to be. What we are supposed to look like as sons and daughters of God. We see, in His word, the image of Christ and how we should act. How we should love. How we should forgive. What our priorities should be. We see all this and once seen; it is not easy to forget.
I know when God is dealing with me personally, it is truly as if He puts a mirror to my face and shows me things I need to change. I am thankful for those times.
I am thankful for the times the mirror of His word shows me pride in me. Or shows me unforgiveness, or bitterness in me. I don’t shrink back at those times, but I run into Him instead.
I am thankful when He takes His word and shows me things I need to change. Behaviors I need to modify. Ways I need to treat people. Looking into His word does that for me, quite often, as a matter of fact.
I had a friend who used to say, “You can’t unscramble eggs.” True statement. And you can’t un-see something you have seen in the word of God. You can’t simply look away and ignore it, that is if you want to please God.
I encourage you today, look into the word of God, see what it says you should be. See what it says you should act like. Let His word teach you how to love. Let His word show you exactly what you look like in Him. Let the mirror of His word transform you into the image of Christ. Walking like He walks. Talking like He talks. And loving like He loves.
Meditate on this:
The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked. 1 John 2:6
