James 1:23-24

Maybe you’ve experienced this, or you can imagine going in for a checkup at the doctor and hearing that you have a number of health conditions that need corrected through medicine and lifestyle change. But you walk out of the office and rip up the report, forgetting everything you just heard. Or your check engine light comes on and you hear from your mechanic that your car is dangerously low on oil. Instead you have him turn off the warning light and you drive off forgetting everything he told you. James, the brother of Jesus, writes about the importance of taking action when we recognize something that needs corrected. Specifically, he's talking about how when we read Scripture, it acts as a mirror to point out areas of our life that don't quite match the character of Jesus. If we close our Bibles, walk away, and do nothing, it's like ignoring the diagnosis from our doctor or mechanic. The point of looking in a mirror, receiving a checkup, or getting our car looked at is to identify areas we can apply correction. Treat Scripture the same way--don't ignore the diagnosis! Ask God to work in your heart to make any necessary changes that the mirror of Scripture reveals.

PASSAGE: James 1:23-24 - “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”

PAUSE: Mirrors are useless if we never change the way we look! Likewise, sound teaching is ineffective unless we apply it to our lives. The blessing of sound teaching is only available to those who trust and obey God’s commands. 

PRAYER: Father, forgive me the many times I read the Word of God and failed to apply it my life. Help me to see the Word as a mirror into my heart and mind. Grant me the grace to not just hear, but to obey and apply it to my life.