“Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror and doing nothing about what you saw…But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it…” ~ James 1:23-25 (ERV)
REFERENCE:
James 1:23-25
The entrance door to our office has reflective glass. I have noticed that when anyone wants to enter the office, they glance at themselves. Mirrors do have that effect on people. However, how many people look at the mirror to pay attention to what it says about their looks and make adjustments? Many take a general look and pass, but on the other hand, some women spend prolonged time in front of mirrors making up.
Let us take a woman in front of a mirror as an example; she looks at her face and touches up her makeup, tucks in a hair strand out of place, stands before a full-length mirror to see what her ensemble looks like, and often carries a small mirror with her in her bag. Men may not be that ‘obsessed’ with mirrors, but they likewise use mirrors to check and adjust their appearance.
God likens His word to a mirror. He would have us pay attention to His word as we do a mirror. I have seen women sit for over an hour in front of a mirror to make up, and often, the product of that time invested is evident when they finish. Do you give quality time to sit before the mirror of God’s word? Are you usually in a hurry when you look at this mirror, or do you notice what it reveals? If you pay attention, it will regulate how beautiful your life will be.
James said, “Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked.” God’s word will often reveal areas of your life that are not ‘beautiful’ – something that is out of order, an attitude to fix, a broken relationship to mend, and a work situation needing God’s wisdom. Not paying attention and running along will hurt you and leave you stuck.
Do you pay attention when you study the Bible? When you listen to a sermon in church, do you pay attention? When praying, do you listen to God’s voice? It can be difficult in a world where social media takes most of our attention. Satan’s objective is not just your attention; it is to distract you from God’s word and prevent you from enjoying its transforming power.
PHOTO QUOTE
ADDITIONAL TEXTS:
John 14:26, Proverbs 4:20-22, and Ezekiel 33:31-32
PRAYER:
+ Father, please help me recover my attention span, which has gradually declined.
+ Grant me the discipline to give You my attention by sitting to study Your word and listening to the sermon in church or through a device.
+ I receive grace to be attentive, retentive, and productive of the word of God, in Jesus’ name.
