Keys to the Kingdom – Carolyn Tucker
I was born in 1958, so I’ve seen many versions of myself in the mirror since graduating from high school. In recent years, there have been times I’ve wondered, “Who stole my face?“ However, I’ve never looked into the mirror and thought, “Who is that?“ I still recognize myself, thanks to Revlon. After all, grandmas are just antique little girls!
I like the everyday language of The Message for James 1:23,24: “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.”
It’s one thing to read your Bible; it’s another thing to do your Bible. Your life as a Christ follower begins in knowing what God wants you to do. And then we glorify Him when we actually do it. “Not everyone who says to Me, ’Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21 NKJV).
With a new year ahead, may I suggest we look daily into the perfect mirror of God’s Word. This mirror accurately reflects every detail of your life in a clear image. Comparing yourself to other people will always give you a fuzzy image. The best way for you to have a “Happy New Year” is to obey God’s Word. The proof is in the pudding with this scripture: “But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it (James 1:25 NLT). God’s perfect law is love — plain and simple. The lifestyle of a real disciple is loving God and loving others. In a nutshell, be a doer of the Word and you will be blessed.
God’s Word is the only trustworthy mirror for our spiritual lives. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17 NLT). You will not find godly direction from reading your horoscope or consulting a psychic. In fact, if you’re participating in anything apart from God’s spiritual realm, you’re opening the door to a spirit of darkness.
Joel Hemphill composed the encouraging song “He’s Still Workin’ on Me” many years ago. As long as we continue in Christ, we’ll be transformed into His likeness. “In the mirror of His Word, reflections that I see make me wonder why He never gave up on me. But He loves me as I am and helps me when I pray. Remember, He’s the Potter, I’m the clay. He’s still workin’ on me to make me what I ought to be.” God loves you too much to leave you the way you are, so He will keep sculpting you into His image. Now that’s a happy thought for the year 2021!
The Key: Jesus is the fairest of all, and His Word tells you when you need to clean your mirror.