By[22] “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. [23] Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror [24] and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” — James 1:22 - 24 NIV
I’ve wondered why they made a mirror. Is it to see our faces only to forget, or to help us dress well? Whatever the reason is, it still makes the mirror usable. But there’s a disadvantage to using the mirror to explain something in James 1:22-24. Apostle James, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes that the one who listens to God’s Word without applying it to one’s life deceives himself. He’s like a person who looks at himself in a mirror and quickly forgets how his face looks after leaving the mirror.
Guess for yourself. Don’t you have doubts about how your face looks just after leaving a mirror you used to dress in front of? It does happen. And such a circumstance won’t change because a mirror isn’t God to know who you are. It just reflects what’s placed before it.
You become what you constantly watch and read.
God’s Word is compared to a mirror in James 1:23, but it’s far more than a mirror. It’s Jesus (John 1:14), to whom you were conformed (Romans 8:29). When you encounter the Word of God, meditate on it and pray; your life will gradually transform to become the Word you’re beholding. That is why the media is so powerful these days. Why? Because you become what you constantly watch and read.
However, God didn’t create you to become what you see but to be like Jesus in all your ways and areas of your life. The truth is that you already bear the image of Jesus in your heart if you’re born again (1 John 4:17). But to see the complete manifestation of the One in you, you need spiritual growth. What you use to grow is this Word of God.
Friend, don’t deceive yourself by disregarding the application of the Word of God. If you do that, you’ll not lose your salvation. But you’ll become fruitless in Christ, cutting yourself from the nutrition Christ gives to His connected brethren. Beware of this danger, lest the enemy use this in your life by surprise.
You’re a blessing.
Prayer
Father, help me to see beyond hearing Your Word and applying it to my life in a practical way. As You’ve purposed me to become like Jesus in all I do, lead me to follow Your ways with intentionality. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen!
Devotional Code: KGD – 2023 – 099
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