Mirror, Mirror
Mirror, Mirror
by Heather Glennon
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a picture of myself and literally not recognized who I was. In my head I’m still a young, vibrant, wrinkle-free woman. In reality, I’ve been kissed by the sun and my face gives evidence of a life vibrantly lived. My two toddlers—and thirty-minute anti-aging regimen—remind me of this daily.
I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. The book of James tells us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (1:22–24).
Let’s zero in on the first part of that scripture: “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
When we go to church and hear a message from Matthew 22 which says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our souls, and with all our minds, and that the second greatest command is to love our neighbor as we love ourself, then we need to walk out of the doors ready to love God and our neighbors. But this is not always an easy task, is it? Sometimes sermons sting, but processing these messages doesn’t usually come with step-by-step instructions. But we do have the Bible.
I recently read a statistic that said 39 percent of Christians are not engaged in discipleship. This means that over one-third of people that walk into church walk out without support or accountability.
We need to read the Bible. We need to pray. We need community and helpful ways to apply what we learn on Sunday. James 2:17 says “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” God tells us that we must do more than just listen. We must have faith with action to carry the gospel throughout our week.
Here are some simple ways to do this:
- Study the passage. If the sermon is based on Matthew 22, read all of Matthew 22. Read it daily. Write down questions or “ah-ha” moments.
- Write down a take-a-way. Summarize the sermon in a phrase or sentence. If you have questions, remember what James 1:5 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
- Personalize scriptures to apply them to issues you are facing. For example: Are you having trouble loving your co-worker? For prayer purposes, be specific and name names … Lord, help me to love “Heather” even as I love myself.
- Pray through it. Talk to God about the part of the message that you can’t do without God. “God, I’ve been so hurt by this person, how am I supposed to love them?” For in our weakness He is made strong. 2 Cor. 12:10
God wants to transform you from the inside out. Have faith that he wants you to walk in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called. So, be willing to apply your Sunday to the rest of the week. The glimpse of who you desire to be that comes on Sunday can become reality through your actions, words, and habits every day.