A Hearer and a Doer

Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
Jas 1:23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
Jas 1:24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Do you have kids? Then undoubtedly you have experienced the joy (not!) of a child who listened to your instruction but failed to follow through with the action.

Oh, how many times I was that kid! And how often am I that child of God? I am in the Word daily, I minister the Word to others, the Word of God is the "tool of my trade." God's Word speaks to my life, my situations, my needs on a regular basis. And yet, I often fail to carry through with what I have just read, listened to or studied.

To me, it is almost humorous when James uses the analogy of a guy looking in the mirror, walking away and forgetting what he just saw. It's kind of like looking at the reflection of a 215 pound man, walking away and recalling a 180 pound guy.

The mirror tells the truth, doesn't it? But our short term memories have a way of distorting the truth, unless we take steps to insure the integrity of the image. And so it is with the mirror of God's Word.

The best ways of preserving what we see when we have been spoken to from the Word:

1. Meditate on what you saw in God's mirror throughout the day.
2. Look for opportunities to make practical applications of the Word's message to you.
3. Put into practice early and often the lesson you learned.
4. At the end of the day, rehearse in your mind how God's Word made a difference as it was used in your life.

How blessed we are to have God's living, pragmatic, powerful Word that speaks to us, works in us and changes us more and more into His image.

Now that's what I want to see when I look into the mirror.