Have You Looked in the Mirror?

James 1:22-24 KJV

22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

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:

24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

I was a deceiver of myself and everyone else for years.  A Pharisee in every aspect.  A white washed sepulcher full of dead men’s bones is what Jesus said.  That was me

Pride will do that to a person.   The trouble with pride is that the person who has it the most sees it the least.  I had a huge dose, and it took a lot if hard work and study to finally are myself in that mirror. I’m so glad the Holy Spirit finally got my attention.   You can read more of my Pride testimony HERE.

I bring this all up because I was a doer of the word externally but I was far from it internally. To everyone who saw me in church as a worship leader and a deacon and a lay minister I had the whole package. I was looked up to as a beacon of light to all those who saw me.

But in my private life I was immersed deeply in sin and I was almost beyond the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When He did come and talk to me I didn’t listen. There were times that I almost got caught in my sin and I was so prideful that I even thought these were moments that God had mercy on me and kept me from being caught.

All of this was brought back to my memory just a few days ago when after I took my shower I forgot to brush my hair. I looked in the mirror and forgot about fixing my outward appearance. Thankfully I later remembered to correct it.

How many times do we read the word and feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, only to get busy in our day and  forget to apply the word we just were convicted by?  I ask you to go back and read that last question again.  I have to answer too many times.

Being a does of the word means that we carry out the things that Jesus taught us to do, and that the inspired writings of the New Testament teach us.   It means that we live in the instructions of the Proverbs and praise in the way of The Psalmist.  It means that the word is a lamp unto out feet and a light unto our path.  It means that we are salt and light in a dark a distasteful world.  It means we forgive everyone who wrongs us and that we pray for our enemies.

Being a doer of the word means we pray for the sick so they will recover, that we deliver the captive, that we open blinded eyes and deaf ears.  It means that we prefer others before ourselves and we rejoice whit those who rejoice and weep with those that weep.   It means that we go into all of our world and preach the Gospel.

Are you getting the picture?  We have all heard all these things and many more.   Maybe you are ahead of me, but I have been more of a hearer than a doer.  I have looked in the mirror and walked away without changing anything.  I have looked in God’s word, been convicted by the Holy Spirit, and not made the changes I need to make..  How about you?

James asks us to listen when the Holy Spirit speaks and to do what the word says, not just with eye service, but with our whole heart.  Let us all heed the call and change the world around us!

Be blessed