James 1:23-24—Spiritual forgetfulness

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;  for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. James 1:23-24

Sometimes I catch a quick glimpse of my reflection in a mirror and think Hello! Who is that woman?! My mom? The shock startles me back into reality; the days of that fresh, young face are gone (at least without some “work”). And then I walk away from the mirror, and it happens all over again. I forget what I look like!

James writes that you can forget what kind of person you are. What kind of person are you? If you are in Christ, you are a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). You are more than a conqueror through Him who loves you (see Romans 8:37). You are the righteousness of God in Him (see 2 Corinthians 5:21). You are redeemed through His blood and have forgiveness of sins (see Ephesians 1:7). You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (see Philippians 4:13).

Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, you are an heir of amazing promises and privileges. And yet as James writes, you might walk away from your Bible study and forget everything you learned.

How does this happen? You hear the Word, but you don’t put it into practice. You may have Scripture plaques or paintings all over the walls of your home, but if you neglect to act on what they say, you may as well have a picture of poker-playing dogs up on that wall, instead. Verses of the Bible, although used to adorn walls, clothing, and jewelry, were never originally spoken out of the mouth of God for the mere purpose of adorning a handbag, belt buckle, or framed painting. There’s nothing wrong with those things; however, God’s intent with His Word is to transform your life, not to simply bring a decorative touch to it.

The Bible is the only kind of mirror in existence which, when you look into it, shows you who you are, not necessarily how you appear. When you are born again by the Word, you are immediately forgiven, cleansed, and made righteous. But the kind of change that takes place in your life and behavior as you continue to gaze in the Word does not happen automatically, or as one preacher said, “Fall on you like ripe cherries from a tree”. This transformation occurs in you over time as you trust God and act consistently upon the truth you see in the mirror of the Word.

As you feed on the Word, allow it to sink into your soul and ask the Lord questions about how it applies to you. Let Him challenge you with His Word and permit Him to use it to form new thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors to replace those in your life that are not from Him.

How do you avoid spiritual forgetfulness? You hear the Word and then act on it, allowing its transforming power to work in your life. But be patient as you persist—it’s a lifelong adventure.

Look long into the mirror of the Word and purpose in your heart not to forget who you are!

Dorothy