A lot of us read the Bible without getting much out of it. James
1:23-25 likens the Bible to a mirror. Now that’s an object we’re
all familiar with; it’s one of the first things we look at when we
get up every morning.
A lot of us read the Bible without getting much out of it. James 1:23-25 likens the Bible to a mirror. Now that’s an object we’re all familiar with; it’s one of the first things we look at when we get up every morning. James says, “if you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance” (vs..23).
Remember Fonzi Fonzerelli from Happy Days? One of the Fonz’s signature moves involved walking up to a mirror, pulling out his comb, looking into the mirror and saying, “aaaayyy,” then putting his comb back in his pocket. The message? One can’t improve on perfection. This is precisely the kind of guy James is talking about: the Fonzi Christian who looks into the mirror of God’s Word and doesn’t do anything because he thinks he’s perfect just the way he is. Now I don’t know about you, but when I look in a mirror, I don’t say, “aaaayyy!”
Over the years I’ve discovered that the mirror is not an object of reinforcement, but of conviction! Your mirror reflects what you are like on the outside; God’s mirror reflects what you are like on the inside.
But how can we use the Bible as a mirror? James says we must “look intently” (vs..25). Sometimes our look in a mirror is little more than a passing glance, but sometimes we take a closer look. We can approach our Bible reading the same way: we can take an occasional glance at it and move on, but if we want to get anything of value from it, we must “look intently.” This requires we read the Bible carefully, constantly seeking to apply God’s timeless truths to life’s daily challenges and demands.
Lets look at some tools we can use to better understand what God is saying and how we can apply it to our life. First, as you are reading, ask yourself some basic questions:
Who is speaking and to whom are they speaking? For example, while there is a statement in the Bible that “there is no God,” it is wise to note that the author of that statement is a “fool” (Psalm 14:1).
What is the subject under consideration? Failing to identify this has led to many a false interpretation. For example, applying a passage discussing Christian living to the subject of salvation can lead one to mistakenly believe that we are made right with God by what we do, rather than by God’s grace.
Is there a time element that needs to be factored in? The “Old Covenant” of the Mosaic Law was superseded by the “New Covenant” of Christ, and thus many of the rules and rituals found in the Old Testament do not apply to God’s people today (for example, the necessity of animal sacrifice, dietary laws, etc.).
Is there a specific application in this passage that is relevant to my life today? In regards to the question of how to apply what you read to the decisions and challenges you face every day, ask yourself the following questions as you read: “Is there any… Sin to confess? Promise to claim? Attitude to change? Command to obey? Example to follow? Prayer to pray? Error to avoid? Truth to believe? Something to thank God for?”
In addition to being thorough in our study of God’s Word, we must also be regular in doing it. This is why James says that in order to be blessed, one must “continue to do this” (vs.. 25). Sometimes I talk to folks who say, “I read the Bible once; it didn’t do much for me.” To say that is like a man dying of thirst being offered water and saying, “no thanks, I had water once… it was kinda tasteless.” As Jesus told Satan, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
