Reflections That Require Action
One morning, I found myself in a rush. I had a busy day ahead, with many places to be and no minute to spare. As I hurriedly glanced at the mirror, I noticed a tear on my shirt above my belly button. At that moment, my phone rang, and I instinctively picked it up, thinking it might be someone I was supposed to meet later in the day. After a few minutes on the phone, all I could think of was getting out of the house quickly so I wouldn’t miss the bus, which only came once every hour. You can probably tell where I am going with this; I left the house without changing my shirt. I didn’t realise I hadn’t changed my shirt until I used the bathroom when I got to my destination.
I recall how embarrassed I felt. I wondered what anyone who had seen me that day with a torn shirt thought of me. After thinking of what I could do without a solution, I convinced myself that the tear wasn’t all that bad and, after all, I wasn’t seeing anyone important. I started to rationalise an obvious wardrobe malfunction. Let me spare you the details of how that day went; it wasn’t my best day.
James 1:22-25, NLT
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. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 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.
In James Chapter 1, James addresses the twelve tribes scattered among the nations. This refers to Jewish Christians who were dispersed outside of Israel due to persecution and other historical factors. They were likely facing hardship, cultural pressure, and spiritual testing. In verses 22-25, he admonishes them to be doers of the word of God and not hearers only. He likens those who disobey God’s word to somebody who looks at the mirror and walks away, forgetting what they look like or not doing anything about their looks.
The word of God is like a mirror that reflects who we are. It shows us man’s fallen state and depravity. More importantly, it also shows us what we could or should be if we embrace what Jesus did about our fallen state. When you look into God’s word and see your imperfections but ignore them, you are like someone who “forgets what you look like” (James 1:24). Could you imagine the state of your family, community, country, and the world if everyone who knew a little of God’s word did what it says? Could you imagine the state of your local church if everyone obeyed God’s word faithfully? For instance, if we practised forgiveness as Jesus taught, wouldn’t our relationships be healthier and more harmonious?
The danger of continuously listening to God’s word without putting it into action is that you will deceive yourself. Ultimately, your heart, full of self-deceit, will lead you astray. Just like I started rationalising my wardrobe malfunction because I did not do anything about it, you will rationalise sin and have an explanation for unrighteous living when you refuse to obey God’s word. The urgency of obedience is evident when we consider the consequences of not acting on God’s word.
We often forget God’s word or fail to act on it because of the many distractions surrounding us today. Our hearts grow deaf to God’s voice because of the noise of the world, which deceives us into thinking we have no choice but to bow to its pressure. The pressures of this world are baits to distract you from obeying God’s word.
The devil knows that if he can keep you ignorant of the Gospel of Christ, he will keep you bound.
If the phone had not rung when I discovered the tear on my shirt, I would have immediately changed it. That phone call was a distraction that ultimately led me to leave the house with a torn shirt after the mirror had reflected its actual state. Many of us are so distracted by our careers, family, and daily pursuits that we do not have time to take action or obey God’s word. Failing to act on the word of God that you know will eventually lead you astray or destroy you.
The Discipline of Taking Action.
James 1:25, NLT. 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.
1. “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free” refers to studying and meditating on God’s word. This is not a casual reading of God’s word, but taking quality time to study it, making it a priority. When did you last go on a fast or retreat to study the word of God? “The perfect law that sets you free” is the Gospel of Jesus Christ (John 8:36). The Gospel brings freedom from sin. The devil knows that if he can keep you ignorant of the Gospel of Christ, he will keep you bound. Many of us who are regular churchgoers do not understand the message of the Gospel because we do not spend time studying and understanding it. The necessity of deepening our understanding of God’s word is clear, and it is a crucial step in our spiritual growth.
2. “and if you do what it says” refers to taking action about what you have studied and read. Some other translations say, “And continues in it”. Continue learning, obeying, and reflecting on the word. Develop the discipline to study and obey the word consistently. If you must set up a strictly regimented environment to study and obey God’s word, do so. Your life will be better for it.
3. “and don’t forget what you heard”. It is easy to be stirred up and emotional immediately after receiving God’s word. But these feelings are temporal. If you don’t consciously try to recall what you have heard, you are just another forgetful hearer. Apart from listening and studying the word, commit it to your memory.
There was a church leader in one of the churches I attended as a teenager who could tell you the word of God for every situation. He could quote a bible verse off the cuff to address both important and trivial situations. He had committed the word of God to memory such that anytime he opened his mouth to speak, it was full of godly wisdom. It reminds me of Colossians 3:16, NKJV.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Committing God’s word to memory will enrich you with godly wisdom and benefit you and the people within your sphere of influence.
4. “then God will bless you for doing it”. Only those who study, meditate, commit to memory, and obey God’s word will receive God’s blessing. The secret here is that God’s blessings come not from knowledge (hearing) but from the application (obedience) of His word. It means you can’t receive the blessings of the word of God that you haven’t obeyed. Some other translations say, “this one will be blessed in what he does”. In other words, when you actively live by God’s word, everything you do from that place of obedience will carry His blessings.
The mirror of God’s word will reflect your flaws and show you your gifts, calling, promises, hope, encouragement, purpose, and a meaningful life. When it shows you your sins, repent from them (Acts 3:19). When it shows you your gifts, actively use and cultivate them with the help of the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 1:6). When it gives you a command, obey (Deuteronomy 28:1). When you see the reflections, take action.
Your action or response to God’s word determines the results in your life. You do not honestly believe God’s word if it doesn’t change you. The true test of your conviction is not what you say but what you do. I pray that everyone reading this lives and grows in total obedience to God. Amen.
