Have you ever been caught out with food between your
teeth with someone important? What about a bad hair day during a potential date
or nasty pimples around your mouth with friends?
It is possibly one of the worst feelings afterwards
when you see a photo taken of yourself in a group and there you are, warts and
all, which could have been easily avoided with 10 seconds in the mirror!
James
1:23-24 Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it is says! Anyone who listens to the word but does not do
what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and after
looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like....
It is a simple metaphor yet so powerful. Everyone
wants to look good and presentable. But just like our physical body our spiritual
body also needs examining and checking out.
Look at yourself and your walk with God – is it
attractive, presentable, looking good? Are you strong in the LORD and in the
power of His might? Are you making disciples, encouraging those around you,
inviting others to church? How about giving, serving, bearing good fruit and
strong in faith?
When we fail to live the Christian life those around
us notice and take note. Many people are watching us and counting on us to be
strong and alive in Christ. What you do matters!
One of the most sobering scriptures is 1 John 1:6-7, if
we walk in darkness we lie and fail our faith we profess. We are either walking
in the light (living in victory, freedom, joy and righteousness) or living in
darkness (slavery, sin, depression, addictions and failure).
2
Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in
the faith: test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in you –
unless of course you fail the test?
Don’t be a hearer of the word but a doer of the word. Examine yourself today and rate yourself out
of 10 in faith, patience, self-control, purity, joy, your walk with God and how
it is impacting your relationships.
If there is sin or dirt in your life clean it off and
give your soul a good wash! Go to the throne of grace and get on your hands and
feet before Him. Repent and turn towards God with a new heart desiring
righteousness. His ways are higher, better and greater than our ways...every time.
But the
man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to
do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be blessed in
what he does (James 1:25).
