The Man in the Mirror

We are in the process of going through the epistle of James on Wednesday nights. Last Wednesday we focused on James 1:19-27 and it continues to bear on my mind.

We Christians sometimes seem to get the idea that everyone else needs to change, but we do not. How easy it is to see everyone else’s faults while completely ignoring our own. We hear the Word of God and can easily see how “so-and-so” needs to apply it to their lives, but seem to be completely unwilling to even entertain the notion that we need to change, too.

James says that if we are going to be men and women of Christian integrity, we need to:

• Be “swift to hear” the Word of God. We need to concentrate our attention. Avoid distractions.
• Be “slow to speak”. The Word of God cannot speak to and change the heart of a person who thinks he/she already knows it all. Don’t argue or make excuses.
• Be “slow to anger”. We may not always like the Word we are hearing. That is because the Word of God is contrary to the flesh. The Word exposes our inappropriate thoughts and attitudes and that is not comfortable. But we need to control our anger and “receive [welcome] with meekness [mildness, humility] the…Word” (James 1:21).
• Be “doers of the Word”. Once we have prepared ourselves to hear and receive the Word of God, there must be action on our part. We must bring our thoughts and our attitude in subjection to the Word of God. It is not enough to look good on the outside. There must be an inward change. The Word of God must become the motivation, the driving force of our lives.

When we gaze into the mirror of God’s Word, God will help us to see ourselves as He sees us. The humble will receive His Word and make the necessary changes in their life. The proud, high minded person, on the other hand, will reject the Word and refuse to change, but insist that others do.

Which are you?