“Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like” James 1:23-24 NIV
There is a medical condition called mirror image agnosia in which an individual looks at himself in a mirror but cannot recognize that the image is, in fact, him. How challenging would that be for us? We see the image, but we don’t know the individual. Every time we investigated a mirror we would see a stranger staring back at us. I liken this to what I will call spiritual agnosia. There are people in this world who look at the Bible but cannot identify with the words or comprehend the implication of Christ’s sacrifice for them. These people are unable to recognize the spiritual realm beyond their transient earthly home. They are spiritually void inside.
These two verses in James chapter one are like mirror image agnosia. James says that the person investigates the mirror (seeing himself) but, he goes away from the image, and he forgets what he looks like.
I think about these verses in the following way: God has given us the image of His Son reflected at us as we spend time reading the Word. We have been given the very blueprint by which we are called to live. Yet, if we only stare at the pages without doing what the words are instructing us to do, we soon forget the image of the Savior in our lives. We must not forget, and we must strive to help others living with spiritual agnosia.
God has commanded each one of us to live a life worthy of His calling. He has chosen us to do what His Word says so that the world around us sees Him in our actions and hears Him in our words. Jesus wants to use us to break through the spiritual agnosia in the lives of those around us so that He can fill their spiritual void.
“Heavenly Father use me this day to reflect Your Son, Jesus. Strengthen and guide me daily so that I DO what Your Word says, not glancing at It and forgetting. Help me to always remember who I am and Whose I am and to live out the purpose You have called me to live. In Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.”
WITHDRAW weekly devotional
Author Kami R. Lobner
“Writing has always been a gift to me from God. There is no better avenue for me to communicate the true depths of my inner most thoughts and feelings. I was encouraged by my family and friends to write…anything…but to just write. So, I prayed about what to write and felt a calling to write daily devotionals. God has used my gift to put on paper what His Scripture means to me; my hope is that what I write hits a chord with those who choose to read the devotionals. I often include a short prayer in the devotionals I write. These prayers are meant to encourage and perhaps challenge us to pursue God’s Presence through scripture reading, meditating on God’s Word, bible studies and fellowship with other believers.
God has been good to me and to my family. I sincerely hope something God led me to put on paper provokes a thought in you or perhaps is that “little thing” you were needing to hear. None of these writings are from me, but from God and His gentle guidance to put thought and prayer on paper.
May God truly bless you!”
