“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Because if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone looking at his own face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

I’ve read these verses before and understand how important it is to go beyond just hearing God’s word. But I’m not sure I get James’s analogy about the mirror. Does that matter? Do I need to understand about the mirror situation? I wonder.

James’s mirror analogy seems to say that reading (or hearing) God’s word will make me examine myself and the kind of person I am the way I use a mirror to examine myself and my physical appearance. That makes sense so far.

As I gaze into my mirror, I will probably decide that something needs to change. It’s inevitable.

The same thing happens when I gaze into God’s word and see how far I am from God’s perfection. I will probably decide that something needs to change.

Now comes the point of James’s analogy. If I look in the mirror and notice a floret of broccoli stuck between my front teeth but don’t pluck it out and reexamine my status, if I just walk away instead, I am a seer but not a doer. Pretty inane.

The same with God’s word. If I read or hear a sermon about something in the Bible that makes me recognize a flaw in my lifestyle but don’t make changes, I am a hearer and not a doer. Also inane.

Why would I look in the mirror if I didn’t care about my appearance? And why would I bother reading the Bible or going to church if I didn’t care about the state of my soul?

I guess sometimes people look in the mirror out of sheer vanity. They want confirmation of their beauty and to bask in it. Other times people may look in the mirror and imagine changes that they would like to make but seem out of their control. They may gaze in the mirror to fantasize about more hair, different skin, or a smaller nose.

Do people do this same thing with their Bible reading?

Do I ever read the Bible and think, “Yes, I am so much better than these people who worshipped idols. And I would never have an affair with someone and then kill their spouse like that guy.” Or do I read it and fantasize about obeying the Great Commission but think it’s beyond my capabilities?

Yes.

Upon reflection, that mirror analogy was more apt than I gave it credit for and had a lot more to offer.

Dear God,

I’m so sorry to admit that sometimes I use your Bible like a hearer and not a doer which is inane. Please show me the changes I need to make to my life. Make them clear. And then give me the strength and wisdom to step forward into those changes.