I checked the mirror and did something about it.

There are many who highlight their Bibles with a marker pen but their Bible never marks them.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1 v 22-25)

This morning you will probably look in the mirror. You will check yourself out. You do it most days. “I’ve seen better but I’ve seen worse.” Every day you make a choice. You could walk away if you want because you are so busy and have many things to do. Maybe a few hours later you could tell a friend, “I spent 1 hour looking in the mirror this morning.” The response could be, “1 minute combing your hair would have been good.”

James says God’s Word is like a mirror. When you look into the mirror you see yourself as you really are and you have a decision to make: what will you do about what you see? James says that the Word of God brings freedom when you do it. That God sets you free within obedience. It may be hard to do what God tells us to do but it brings a quality of life to us that we could never achieve or the world ever give to us.

The mark of any disciple is obedience.

For us to be in the image of Christ, we need to know we are not first but second. We are not leading everything but following. We are not in charge but conforming ourselves to Him and not to our rights. We live in a society which looks so nice in that everyone is free to be whoever they want to be. But this is not true as a disciple of Jesus.

It is not more leadership conferences that are needed. But we do need to learn more about what it means to follow.

Hear through opening your eyes, slowing your life down, in prayer, meditation of the Bible, listening to others. Be taught.

Obey through change, through the difficult day of testing, it may not be the devil attacking you, it may just be the testing and perfecting of your obedience by God. So don’t run ahead thinking that hearing and obeying doesn’t apply and it is too slow a process for you. Neither become embittered by your life.

Look in the mirror and do something about it. If you do you will surely be blessed.