As women, we often spend inordinate amounts of time in front of our mirrors. I mean, hey, we don't wake up looking this beautiful. It takes work! It intrigues me to think that my husband sees me the same, whether I have make-up on or not and whether my hair is curled or still wet from the shower. But when I look in my mirror, some days I feel beautiful, and other days I don't recognize the old girl staring back at me. What's up with that?
The next word picture James painted for us is about looking at ourselves in the mirror. James 1:22-25 points out that it does us no good to stare into God's Word and not respond in obedience, just like it does me no good to stare into a mirror, see that I have mud on my face, and walk away without washing it.
The truth of God's Word is like a sieve that filters all the gunk out of my soul. God's Word is the mirror that enables me to see the sin God wants to surgically remove from my spirit. When I ignore what He shows me, it is like letting a cancer grow.
Last fall, I had a small sore on my forehead that would not heal. It was about the size of a pencil eraser and didn't really hurt, but every time I bumped it, the scab fell off, and it bled a little. I kept thinking I should mention it to my doctor, but when my annual appointment came around, I completely forgot. It's hard to focus on much else when the doctor is up in your business. (Is this too much information? Sorry. Back to my point....)
My sweet hairdresser is the one who finally forced me to see the dermatologist. "Dana, you NEED to have that checked!!!" So, seven months and $1600 later, I now have a chunk the size of a quarter missing from my forehead. Had I paid attention to the initial warning signs in my mirror, the doctor could have taken care of the tiny spot with creams.
So, what ugly sin cancer do you keep ignoring in the mirror of God's Word? James 1:19-27 mentions things like anger, moral filth, not watching how we speak, and not taking care of the needy. James gets even more specific in the remainder of his book. Ask God to make you aware of those areas where you tend to push back whenever the Holy Spirit is prompting you to surrender. Let Him take care of your sin with the anointing oil of of forgiveness. It will keep you from going under the knife of the Great Physician.
The truth of God's Word is like a sieve that filters all the gunk out of my soul. God's Word is the mirror that enables me to see the sin God wants to surgically remove from my spirit. When I ignore what He shows me, it is like letting a cancer grow.
Last fall, I had a small sore on my forehead that would not heal. It was about the size of a pencil eraser and didn't really hurt, but every time I bumped it, the scab fell off, and it bled a little. I kept thinking I should mention it to my doctor, but when my annual appointment came around, I completely forgot. It's hard to focus on much else when the doctor is up in your business. (Is this too much information? Sorry. Back to my point....)
My sweet hairdresser is the one who finally forced me to see the dermatologist. "Dana, you NEED to have that checked!!!" So, seven months and $1600 later, I now have a chunk the size of a quarter missing from my forehead. Had I paid attention to the initial warning signs in my mirror, the doctor could have taken care of the tiny spot with creams.
So, what ugly sin cancer do you keep ignoring in the mirror of God's Word? James 1:19-27 mentions things like anger, moral filth, not watching how we speak, and not taking care of the needy. James gets even more specific in the remainder of his book. Ask God to make you aware of those areas where you tend to push back whenever the Holy Spirit is prompting you to surrender. Let Him take care of your sin with the anointing oil of of forgiveness. It will keep you from going under the knife of the Great Physician.
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