James 1:22-25

^22-24 Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like. ²⁵ But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.

[Narrative]

“Of course that’s me!” the distracted soul exclaims as he stares intently at his reflection. “Why am I so confused?” he ponders. “I was just here moments ago and somehow forgot my own reflection!” He feels such conviction as the Holy Spirit speaks, “Do not be deceived my dear child. You must be a doer of the Word and not just a listener.”

The tortured soul refutes such conviction as he listens to the deceptive whispers of the evil one, “I go to church regularly, and I even bow my head reverently during prayers so I know I’m a good person.” The battle ensues over the wanderer’s confusion. His focused attention is suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. An alluring voice can be heard from the other side, “Are you coming? We are waiting on you!” The distracted one turns from studying his reflection and exclaims, “Yeah, give me a minute to grab my stuff, and I’ll be there shortly.” Carousing speech can be heard on the other side of the door as they await his arrival.

As the conflicted one turns from his own reflection, a bright light catches the corner of his eye. The spiritual battle intensifies as he struggles between following his fleshly desires versus listening to the counsel of God. With only a glimpse, he sees a holy messenger standing where his reflection was once projected. The cautious one immediately recalls Galatians 5:17, “The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

Instead of grabbing his keys, he opens the nightstand and pulls out God’s holy word. He opens directly to Psalm 19:14 as he repeats, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Instead of walking to the door to leave, he carefully walks back to the mirror. This time, his reflection is replaced by the Son of God. The fiery darts appear to come from all directions; however, they are not penetrating his focus. With purposeful intent, the seeker reaches for the Savior’s hand and takes his first step of obedience. 

Dear friends, you cannot live a double life. Proverbs 27:19 says, “As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.” Do not be deceived. Seek holiness as you bear the name of Christ for your witness is greater than you think. 

Thankful,

Christian Armetta