Text: James 1:1-27
“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.” —James 1:23-24
My daughter recently wrote a paper for her college class on the dangers of “Method Acting.” Stephanie’s thesis is that Method Acting can be emotionally and psychologically harmful to actors and performers because they can get so into role-play that it affects one’s capacity to separate the act from real life. One of the well-known examples of this peril was Heath Ledger’s role in playing the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Many people believe that his obsession with that role affected his mental health and may have contributed to sleep disorders, which fatally led to his overdose.
“Any time a person plays with their true identity,” she said, “looking inward and changing and reconstructing their unique self, they risk sacrificing parts of their original DNA.”
Actors aren’t the only ones who struggle with this contradiction between the act and their real identity. Sometimes Christians find themselves in a similar tension—a place where spiritual identity gets left behind in the daily theater of our practical lives.
In today’s devotional text, the Epistle of James describes this as looking intently at your face in a mirror, and then walking away forgetting what you looked like. In verse 21, the writer instructs the readers to “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” Then he gives an admonition about the danger of hearing God’s word without actually doing it, which leads to self-deception (vv.22-27).
God’s “perfect law, the law of liberty” reveals our true identity. But it’s all too easy to forget that identity in the stress of our days and the noise of this world. Life has a way of hitting us so hard that we sometimes forget what is in that mirror.
James identifies various things that can push back on our true identity—the trials of life (v.2), a deficiency of wisdom (v.5), double-mindedness, which leads to instability (vv.6-8), the lure of sinful temptations (vv.13-15), being quick to anger (vv.19-20). All of these can cause you to forget who you are when you walk away from that mirror.
If we could summarize James’ thesis, it might be something like this: God doesn’t want us fleshing out a role in life that is contrary to, or inconsistent with, our true identity in Christ.
Through repentance and faith in Christ, we have been given a new identity to live from. As we reflect on God’s law of liberty, we should be mindful of what we see in that mirror in front of us. We see a person chosen by God and adopted into His everlasting family (John 15:16, Romans 8:14-15). We see a person forgiven and redeemed of every sin and failure (Ephesians 1:7-8, Psalm 103:12). We see a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). We see freedom from guilt and condemnation (John 8:36, Romans 8:1). We see a person clothed in the righteousness of Christ (Galatians 3:27). We see not just a survivor, but a victor (Romans 8:37, 1 John 5:4). We see a person who can be strong and courageous, unafraid, because God “will never leave you or forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
[bctt tweet=”God doesn’t want us fleshing out a role in life that is contrary to, or inconsistent with, our true identity in Christ. ” username=”jimmylarche”]
You don’t have to get sucked into a role that isn’t you! You don’t have to forget who you are in the throes of this life. By abiding in God’s perfect law of liberty you can remember your true identity in a world full of confusion. Resolve to live from that identity no matter what the world might be throwing at you this week.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank you for dying a death you did not deserve so that I could live a life I did not deserve. Your sinless blood shed on Calvary’s cross was wholly sufficient to wash away all of my sins and give me new birth. Revelation 12 reveals that a day is promised in which you will cast down the “accuser of our brothers and sisters” and the enemy will be defeated once and for all. Until that glorious day and grand finale of redemption, teach me how to live each day from my true identity that you have given me through spiritual adoption into your royal family. Amen!
Questions for Reflection and/or Family Discussion:
- When people fail to find their identity in their Creator, what alternate things in the world do people draw from to form their identity?
- In what ways can worldly identities lead to superficiality, instability, or even divisiveness?
- What have been some of the personal challenges in your life that push back on your ability to live from your real identity in Christ?
- The word of God is also like a mirror that exposes the blemishes in our lives, revealing to us the very thoughts and intents of our hearts (Hebrews 4:12). Is there something in your life right now that warrants repentance and confession?
- Is there something you can do this week that will help you stay more in character with the real you—being not just a ‘hearer’ of God’s word, but also a ‘doer’?
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