Anyways... James 1:22-25 – here’s my thoughts, questions and challenges.
I love the illustration of the mirror – how many times have you forgotten what you looked like. Chances are, not many. I think the idea here that often times when it comes to God’s Word that we are literally so forgetful that we forget that we’re Christians as we go throughout our day. Ouch!! I think that’s true of all of us. Ask yourself:
“Do I actually forget that I’m a Christian as I go throughout the day”.
I was thinking that sometimes when I look in the mirror that I want to forget what I look like because I either don’t like what I’m seeing or because it’s easier to just imagine what I think I look like or what I really want to look like, than to actually allow the truth of the mirror to show me what I really look like.
Same is true of our spiritual life, it’s so easy to simply choose to forget what our spirituality looks like and then fool ourselves into believing how “good” or “ok” we are. The Word of God becomes like the mirror of our spirituality that we can compare ourselves to for an accurate and completely honest look at what our spiritual lives look like.
I guess that’s why it’s at times its real scary to read the Word and try to apply it. It shows us all or junk. When I look in the mirror it doesn’t lie to me. I see my crooked nose, receding hairline, zits, dry skin, gray hair and large biceps. (I guess some mirrors still show us what we want to see. Ha.)
When I look at the Word it doesn’t lie to me either, I see my attitudes, negative and critical opinions, lack of compassion for others and on and on the list could go.
One more thought from late in the passage. James 1:25 that if you look into the law it gives perfect freedom. This is so different than how we think about laws. We normally view laws as things that restrict freedom. Our thought process here is that our life would be better without rules and laws. But in complete contrast to our normal way of thinking James says that being under the perfect law of God actually gives us perfect freedom. I think what James is saying here is that when we use the perfect law as a mirror for our soul that find complete honesty and truth which actually gives us the freedom to be our true selves and serve God in complete authenticity. Talk about being in bondage and under law – try living your life as a fake all the time. That’s real bondage.
Today questions to think about:
Do I actually forget that I’m a Christian and just act however I want?
Am I looking into the mirror of God’s Word to reveal to me what needs to change?
Am I really living in the freedom of being myself in God’s sight or am I faking it and fooling myself into thinking that I’m fine?
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