The Mirror

James 1: 19-27

James in this passage exposes the concept of the mirror in our lives spiritually. He leads the reader to consider personal action as a result of hearing and responding to God’s Word. In the middle of the verses a common everyday item is mentioned to cause the reader to pause and observe their lifestyle through the reflection of a mirror. In today’s world it would be the equivalent of scrolling a social media news feed with little memory about the actual people represented by the posts. You may be like me and have little memory of people beyond the punchline, pictures, and activities they share. The mirror James references in the passage represents the quick glance of looking at yourself to comb your hair or shave and quickly leaving that image and going about your day.

The deeper meaning for me as I reflect on this passage reveals the spiritual side of a mirror. Some days each of us only take the time for a quick glance for Bible reading or a brief prayer over a meal that only directs us toward God. If we live each day with just quick glimpses of God then do we ever arrive at the place in our lives that will produce a lifestyle of ministry to the forgotten peoples of society?

A widow or an orphan represented a person that was totally dependent on others and for each of us to be a doer of the Word and not just a quick glance hearer of the Word we should have evidence of ministering to others. Jesus summed this level of commitment as loving your neighbor. The evidence of a person that was living more in the Word than with quick glances toward God would not forget the least of these.

As the son of a widow I can imagine that helping someone with a quick response that is easily forgotten does not change their plight or forecast in life to a great degree but makes the other person feel pretty good about themselves. This is not the level of ministry James is calling us toward. James is trying to help you and I understand that we need a deep devotion to the Word of God that leads to a lifestyle of committed response. If you and I can grasp that level of worth to the least of these then our lives will touch everyone for a kingdom impact. Will each of us begin to look deeply into the mirror and forget the quick glance approach of simply being presentable in public but unworthy to be presented to the feet of Jesus?