“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.” James 1:22-23 NLT
Unlike my wife, I hardly stay long admiring myself in the mirror. Once I’m done dressing up, I often ask for her feedback, and she gives me. However, as I walk out of the front door to the main gate of the house, I glance at my reflection in the windows of the rooms along that path. For some reason, I prefer doing that to standing on one spot and looking at a mirror.
As I glance at my reflection, I may spot something, like ruffled hair, and I address it before getting to the gate. But I never forget what I see.
If you look at your reflection, spot a blemish in your image, and still forget it, then it means that memory has been choked out of your life by something serious. It becomes a concern because if there are other things you remember, why should you forget your image?
This means one thing: there is a battle for your identity. When you forget what you look like, then you fail to realign your image with that of God, in whose image you are. You eventually lose yourself, which is the enemy’s agenda—to steal, kill, and destroy your identity (John 10:10).
How does forgetting our image affect our work?
When you notice food in between your teeth after looking in the mirror, yet you do nothing about it (because you forgot), and you head out for a presentation at work, what do you think will happen?
Those you’re speaking to will be so focused on that green thing in your teeth that most of the presentation goes unheard. So, when we don’t address our weaknesses, shortcomings, and flaws after looking into the word, these issues negatively affect us when we try to fulfil our purpose.
They become so glaring that the people we are trying to reach miss the message. Every time we try to do something right, the unaddressed vice jumps out and draws attention to itself, giving us a different identity.
We may put in so much work but still miss out on the rewards because the vices in us create wrong perceptions in the minds of others. This is why some people can be experts but be hated by everyone because of their bad character.
The solution is in verse 25, which says, “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
There are two conditions here to restore our identity: study the word and do what it says.
When we look at our reflection in the Word and we spot “green spinach in our teeth”, we must take it out because it will not serve us.
The world needs the expression of our gifts. When we take out the vices, we get received just the way God wants it to be.
“I walk in obedience to God’s Word.”
To act like God is to do things in His image and likeness. In what ways have you acted contrary to this?
What vice in your life causes others to always misinterpret your actions? Take it to God in prayer so that His message through your work can be crisp and clear.
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