The Man in the Mirror!

 

How much time do you spend looking at yourself in front of a mirror? A Moscow survey of 93,000 people worldwide said the average time is four hours per day![1] WHAT? That is crazy! If you look at other surveys over the past ten years, men spend about 57 minutes a day and women spend about 43 minutes per day![2] WHAT? Men spend more time than women? Regardless of that number and the truth behind those surveys, we do spend a lot of time in front of the mirror. We care how people see us. We care about the external, the visual, probably even more than what is on the inside. 

This reminds me of a scene from "Evan Almighty." I love this movie. Here is a clip:

When you look in the mirror -- What do you see? Or, more accurately, WHO do you see?

One of my favorite books of the Bible is James and one of my favorite verses is a little strange:

"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." (James 1:22-24)

This is such an absurd statement. Who forgets what they look like? But, reading God's word, attending a weekly in-depth Bible Study, or having a one to two-hour daily devotional time every morning like I do, are all meaningless if we don't obey what the word says. It is just as absurd to read God's word and not live it as it is to forget what we look like immediately after viewing ourselves in a mirror. 

Unfortunately, this is the typical life of many Christians. Our actions, our words, and our thoughts don't match the word of God. That is probably the reason most non-believers label Christians as hypocrites. Our walk doesn't match our talk. 

The entire book of James is about living a life that is truly of God. No, we will not be perfect. Yet, we must pay attention to the person God wants us to be.

"But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace-loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and it is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17,18)

How much time I spend in God's word is completely useless if I do not live a life that is peace-loving, gentle, unselfish, full of mercy, and results in good deeds. If I discriminate or think of people for only what they can give to me, what good is that? 

Does the man in the mirror match the man that God wants you to be?

[1] - https://wabcradio.com/2023/03/08/we-spend-how-long-looking-in-the-mirror/#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20the%20international%20team,our%20listeners%20for%20their%20reaction.

[2] - https://wgna.com/men-spend-56-minutes-every-day-in-front-of-a-mirror/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20new%20survey,every%20day%20looking%20at%20herself!