Words of Inspiration - The man in the mirror

[00:00:37] Welcome to The Bible Speaks with your host Elgin Carelock.

[00:00:42] The Bible Speaks is a daily podcast dedicated to sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, rightly

[00:00:49] dividing the Word of Truth and learning how to apply it to our daily lives.

[00:00:55] You may contact Elgin at the address given at the end of the broadcast.

[00:01:00] And now here's Elgin.

[00:01:02] Brothers and sisters, I welcome you in the name of our risen Savior, Jesus to Christ,

[00:01:08] to another episode of Words of Inspiration.

[00:01:12] Yesterday, we spoke about heavenly wisdom, and I wanted to spend our time together today

[00:01:19] speaking about getting us to the point of recognizing where we need help.

[00:01:26] Therefore, our topic for today is titled The Man in the Mirror.

[00:01:30] Our inspiration comes from James 1 v. 22-24 and reading from the New International Version,

[00:01:43] it reads,

[00:01:44] Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves.

[00:01:49] Do what it says.

[00:01:51] Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks

[00:01:57] at his face in the mirror, and after looking at himself goes away and immediately forgets

[00:02:04] what he looks like.

[00:02:07] This passage is a powerful reminder about the importance of not just hearing God's

[00:02:12] Word but applying it to our lives.

[00:02:16] Today we're going to talk about what it means to take a deep look in the mirror.

[00:02:22] Ask God to show us where we are weak in godly wisdom, and most importantly how we

[00:02:28] can build strength in those areas.

[00:02:32] James uses the analogy of looking into a mirror as a way of highlighting the dangers of self-deception.

[00:02:39] Sometimes we glance at ourselves and forget to address what's really staring back at

[00:02:45] us.

[00:02:46] Spiritually speaking, this happens when we read or hear God's Word but fail to

[00:02:52] apply it to our lives.

[00:02:53] We might be aware of our weaknesses, whether it's impatience, pride or lack of trust but

[00:03:02] instead of addressing them we walk away unchanged.

[00:03:07] The first step in this process is having the courage to ask God to show us who we

[00:03:13] really are.

[00:03:15] It's not always easy to look in the mirror and see where we fall short, but growth

[00:03:21] begins with an honest assessment of where we are.

[00:03:25] Just as a mirror reflects the physical, God's Word reflects our spiritual condition.

[00:03:33] Psalm 139 verses 23 through 24 reads, Search me God and know my heart, test me and know

[00:03:43] my anxious thoughts.

[00:03:45] See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.

[00:03:53] When we ask God to search us, we are inviting him to show us areas where we need his wisdom

[00:04:00] and strength.

[00:04:03] Once we've asked God to show us the man in the mirror, the next step is to honestly

[00:04:09] identify where we lack godly wisdom.

[00:04:12] Maybe it's in our relationships where we struggle with forgiveness.

[00:04:17] Maybe it's in our finances where we lean on our own understanding instead of trusting

[00:04:23] God's provision.

[00:04:25] Or perhaps it's in our daily habits where distraction and busyness drown out time

[00:04:30] with God.

[00:04:33] Where are you weak in godly wisdom?

[00:04:36] Take a minute and reflect on this.

[00:04:39] Don't rush past the hard truth that God reveals to you.

[00:04:43] As Proverbs 2 and 6 reminds us, For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge

[00:04:50] and understanding.

[00:04:52] God doesn't reveal our weaknesses to condemn us.

[00:04:56] He reveals them to help us grow.

[00:04:59] He desires to strengthen us, but we must first acknowledge the areas where we need

[00:05:04] his help.

[00:05:06] James doesn't stop at identifying the problem.

[00:05:09] He urges us to act.

[00:05:12] It's one thing to recognize where we are weak.

[00:05:16] It's another thing to actively seek God's help in strengthening those areas.

[00:05:22] James 1 and 22 says, Do what it says.

[00:05:27] This means we must not only be hearers of the word, but doers of it.

[00:05:32] Transformation happens when we align our lives with God's truth.

[00:05:38] So how do we strengthen those weak areas?

[00:05:42] Start by asking God for wisdom.

[00:05:45] James 1 and 5 encourages us, If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God who gives

[00:05:52] generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

[00:05:58] God is willing to help us, but we must be willing to seek him.

[00:06:02] Additionally, surround yourself with people who encourage your spiritual growth

[00:06:08] and keep you accountable.

[00:06:11] Build habits of prayer, study, and obedience so that the word of God takes root in your daily lives.

[00:06:20] As we wrap up today's episode, take a moment to reflect on this question.

[00:06:26] Where is God showing you that you need his wisdom and strength?

[00:06:31] Don't be afraid to look in the mirror and see where you need to grow.

[00:06:36] But more importantly, don't walk away without doing something about it.

[00:06:42] God is ready to help you, but you must take that step of faith.

[00:06:50] Brothers and sisters, I thank you for spending time with me on today.

[00:06:54] And I look forward to our conversation on tomorrow.

[00:06:58] Until then, God bless.

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[00:07:36] You may contact Elgin at PO Box 5582 or California 34478

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