James 1:23-24

New American Standard Version

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.

Pastor’s Paraphrase

          For someone to hear the teaching of God’s truth, understand it, and still not put it into practice in their life would be as foolish as someone looking at their image in the mirror, seeing the changes they need to make in order to be presentable, and yet walking away doing nothing!

 “How does this help me become more like Him?”

          Years ago, carnivals used to have rooms lined with mirrors that distorted the reflections of carnival goers.  There would be one that would make you look incredibly fat and others that would make you look as skinny as a pencil.  They were all amusing and it was fun to laugh at your reflection and those of your friends in these distorted mirrors.  While it may bring us a laugh to look at our distorted images in carnival mirrors, we would never use one of them on a daily basis.

          We all use mirrors every day.  Even those of us who don’t have enough hair to become messed up need a mirror to get ready in the morning.  I shaved without a mirror once and cut a big gash in one of my sideburns.  My wife almost wouldn’t let me out of the house, I was so odd looking.  We need mirrors to reflect our physical appearance so that we can make the necessary adjustments before we go out in public.  If we didn’t, some of us would be downright scary!

          It is scarier to think that we would look at our spiritual reflection in the mirror of God’s Word and make no changes or adjustments.  When we look clearly into the Scripture, it will show us where we are messed up.  It will show us what is out of place and unpresentable to a world that needs to see believers whose lives look more like Him.  The Scripture, when it is clearly and accurately taught and applied with common sense wisdom, will show us everything we need to know about what needs to be changed or adjusted in our lives.  It also will confirm to us when things are in their proper place and the image we see of our lives matches the standards the Lord provides for our instruction.

          Looking in the mirror and making yourself ready to encounter other people in the day is not something you do only once or even just occasionally.  We do it every morning and then again several times during the day.  I remember the old “Happy Days” television program where Fonzie would look in the mirror, admire himself, and smiling, say “Hey!!”  I’ve never had that experience.  Whenever I look, adjustments are always needed.  So it is in my spiritual life.  We look, we see, and we change.  That is how we come to more closely resemble our Savior as we live more like Him.

“How should I pray for Him to change my life?”

Pray that the Lord would show you clearly through the reflection of His Word those things that are exactly as they should be and those that need change.  Be thankful to Him that His Spirit is always ready to show you how and give you the strength to make any change that is needed.  Ask Him to give you the wisdom to apply what you see in Scripture so that you would be continually conformed to His image.

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