I loved going to the carnival growing up. We had one in our town, and each year, nearly everyone would come out and enjoy the fun rides and great food. There was one section that always cracked me up (and gave me a good reason to laugh at my sisters) — the room with the distorted mirrors. Have you ever been in one? They’re pretty funny.
One might make you look tall and skinny and the one right next to it give you a glimpse of what you could look like if you ate too much of mom’s cooking. And another would make you look like you had Dumbo the Elephants ears. It never failed. You could hear the laughter from outside the room every time someone walked in!
Thinking back, distorted mirrors are funny in a carnival setting, but they’re not so funny in life. We find distorted pictures of reality every day in people’s opinions, in the media, and even in our own thoughts. If we’re not careful we end up basing our lives off of a distorted view of reality, making decisions that negatively affect our futures.
The good news is that there is one mirror that is perfect. There’s one that never distorts reality. It’s God’s Word. When we learn to look into that mirror, our life starts going in the right direction, the one God has meant for us all along.
James compares the Bible to a mirror. In James 1:22-24 he writes, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”
In other words, look into the right mirror (God’s Word) and make the adjustments you need to make to get things just right. If you do, you’ll be amazed at how something that once seemed so distorted turns into God’s best dream for your life.
James then explains the four stages of experiencing life change through God’s word. The first is to look with intention into the perfect law. God has perfect answers to life’s problems. He will prove that once we start honoring His perspectives.
The second stage is revelation— The Holy Spirit begins revealing to us how God’s answers specifically apply to our situations. The third stage is meditation. This is where we sit with our revelation, allowing it to sink in enough to inspire us to new action. We then act on it, in full faith that God will bring change. And He does. Just like He promised!
The final stage is our favorite— blessing. When we look into the right mirror, allowing God to speak to our hearts, and letting belief in His Words inspire us to new action, life change occurs. So today, I encourage you to work this process into your daily routine. Let God’s Word change you!
