The Mind Fix

Look in the mirror, what do you see?  Yourself, of course. God forbid that you stand in front of a mirror and behold the reflection of your dead great grandmother … A japa situation definitely. Haq. Just kidding

In addressing spiritual growth, especially getting a believer to move from unproductive following to a productive Christian life that is full of results; the Apostle James uses the metaphor of a mirror. James 1:22-25

What mirror? you might ask. How do I acquire this mirror? How often do I stare at it?

Follow me!

Certain facts are settled in the scriptures. I’ll mention two.

Fact 1

Jesus is the Word of God John 1:1, 14. This means Jesus is the plan of God. He is all that God intended to say from the beginning. The purpose of God for man was to be fulfilled in Christ. The Bible also describes him as the express image of God. Heb 1:3, John 14:9

In short, Jesus was the physical manifestation of the unseen God on earth.

But think about it! The Bible is also called the word of God. How do we reconcile this? The Bible itself gives us the answer. In John 5:39, Jesus declares that the scripture in itself does not give life, Jesus is the life, and the scriptures only testify of him.  We can safely say therefore that the Bible is a Christ-centered document. While it is not the case that every statement, story, or actor in the Bible refers to or represents Christ, we find that the summation of the stories and prophetic sayings points to Christ.

In the old testament, Jesus is introduced to us in types, shadows, and figures, psalms, and prophecies. In the gospels, we see the humanity of Jesus; his meekness; his response to sickness; lack, opposition; his manner of speech; his disposition to sinners, etc. In the epistles, the full revelation of the plans and purposes of God in Christ is given to us in plain terms.

Fact 2

The man who has believed the gospel is in union with Christ. He has been conformed to the image of the Son Rom 8:29. He has put on Christ Gal 3:27. Christ lives in him Gal 2:20. He is joined to the Lord 1Cor 6:17. He is in Christ Eph 1:3-4. I have said this to say that the true identity of the Christian is CHRIST. He is not just like Christ; He is in Christ.

Now let’s bring it home.

Just as the mirror reflects the image of a man to him, the Bible is that mirror to the Christian. When properly studied, it reveals the true identity of the Christian to him. It reveals who Christ is, and since we are in Christ, we see our true image also when we look into the mirror of the word.

This is the true mind fix. This is how we transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds. It is through the word of God. The saved man must constantly remind himself that he is not of the world and should not be conformed to the ways of this world. This reminder can only come by paying attention to his realities in the word. In studying, he is convinced of his heavenly citizenship, his righteousness, and holiness, power and authority and he behaves himself accordingly.

Finally, brother James states that the conviction that births action in the Christian faith does not come by occasional peeps into that mirror. It is the faithful, consistent, persevering observation that brings forth results. The image must be retained in our vision. The more you look, the more you discover who you really are, the more you express your true nature.

Have you really met your true self?  Look in the word today. Start from the Epistles. Read it, study it, meditate on it, confess it, pray it. Make it a daily routine. Be intentional. This is how to live our true and best life.