Looking Through the Mirror from James 1:23-24
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We all do it probably once a day: look at ourselves in the mirror. Maybe we do it to check our appearance before leaving the house, to check a bug bite on the back of our arm, or maybe we put a sticky note on the surface as a reminder to do something.
However, the writer of James had a different view on when someone looks in a mirror. He discussed it at the start of his book:
“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was” (James 1:23-24).
Though it may seem from James’ writing that he means a brief memory lapse of what you look like, there is a deeper meaning. It reflects not only forgetting who you are, but forgetting the principles of God and His Word to lead your life biblically.
We will further explore the context of this verse from James, as well as ways we can truly look in the mirror of life and remember what we saw to lead us in our day.
Looking in James’ Mirror
The book of James was written by one of Jesus’ brothers. James, who was the oldest after Jesus and was recorded as not believing the true nature of Jesus until later, became more involved with the early church as time went on. Many recognize key Scripture verses from this book that encourage us to have faith in God and perform good works of faith (James 2:26). Several verses also resemble insightful words of wisdom that we see in the book of Proverbs.
In James 1:23-24, James describes a believer who just hears God’s Word but doesn’t do anything with this knowledge. He characterizes this person as similar to a man who looks at himself in a mirror, recognizing all that is natural about him, but then goes away and forgets what he looks like.
James means that, just like a man forgetting what he looks like in the mirror once he walks away, we as believers shouldn’t just read or hear the gospel. Maybe we even know it by heart but do nothing with this knowledge in terms of sharing it with others or letting it shape our lives.
When James wrote these words, this was a notable problem within the community around him, and is still a prevalent problem among Christians today. People say they believe, but it is not visible in the way they led their lives.
James followed up these profound verses by stating, in James 1:25: “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
We can safely assume that James is saying, for those who see God’s Word as the perfect law of liberty, seeing their true selves in the mirror and not forgetting but sharing what they saw when they leave – those will be the people whom God blesses in everything that they do.
Living with the Mirror in Mind
In our fallen world today, being a Christian can come with some harsh treatment from others, but our own fear and discomfort in living out God’s Word in the world could make us all the forgetful man looking in the mirror.
We don’t want to cause awkwardness or conflict with those around us, whether loved ones or strangers, so we don’t talk about the gospel with them. We don’t share what’s on our hearts about their relationships with God or that Jesus died and was resurrected so sin could be removed from their lives.
However, putting God ahead of our comfort level is necessary. It prevents those around us from letting sin dictate their lives or missing out on blessings God has in store for them if they won’t let Him love and guide them.
If you are moved by James’ words, seeing their relevance in today’s society, what can you do to avoid being the forgetful man?
One way is to take an actual look in the mirror – not to check out your appearance, but to see the kind of person you are at the moment. Ask yourself if you are happy with the person staring back at you, or if you are ashamed of who you are and what you stand for in life at present. Maybe write down your thoughts as you look at yourself in the mirror, gazing into your own eyes and being honest about where you are in life and if change is needed.
Another step is to dive into God’s Word, maybe even reading through the book of James (and additionally the book of Proverbs) to learn some ways to live out your faith for others to see, not just being the faithful person to God in the confines of your home.
A final way to assess your walk of faith and not be the forgetful man in the mirror is to look at what example you are setting, whether at home, at work, or out in the community. Using what you learned after looking into your own mirror, put into action the changes that need to be made.
Don’t Hide Who God Has Called You to Be
What if what you saw in the mirror was someone who is obsessed with social media or watching television? Maybe a change you could make is putting your phone to the side to spend face-to-face time with those around you, or using your free time to volunteer in some way to help others.
What if the person you saw in the mirror was only visible on Sundays at church? Take the time to live out the Bible in your daily life, from praying at your desk at work to sharing about what God has been doing in your life with a friend while out for a morning walk.
The more steps you take to not be the forgetful man looking in the mirror, to live out God’s principles each day, the less you will see of the person you wish you could be in the mirror. Why? Because you are seeing them out in the open around others.
The book of James is full of guidance and advice that is just as relevant and powerful for the believer today as it was for believers in the early church centuries ago. However, James 1:23-24 seems to encourage us to look more intensely into who we are and how we are prone to seeing a version of ourselves that we welcome but don’t allow to lead our paths.
God doesn’t want us to hide what He has called us to be. We should look at ways we can bring forth our Christian character as we are with others. Whether it is journaling what we see of ourselves in an actual mirror, becoming more familiar with God’s wisdom from the Bible, or implementing the changes we see in the mirror into our daily lives, these steps can help us avoid becoming the forgetful man in the mirror.
With these steps, we will then become the person we are out in the world that we like seeing in the mirror.
Photo credit: Unsplash/elisa-ph
