Mirrors are honest! Under well-lit conditions, mirrors reveal the truthful condition of the observer. The Bible is the Word of God. Like a mirror, it reveals the truth about our world, our character, and our God. But then we must act accordingly; doing must follow reading and hearing. James mentions five areas in our lives—five categories—the Word of God should govern.

I. Submission (vv. 22-24)

II. Study (v. 25)

III. Speech (v. 26)

IV. Service (v. 27a)

V. Separation (v. 27b)

Talk with God: Assess your spiritual growth in the mirror of God’s Word and pray for wisdom and clarity in confronting your blind spots.

Talk with others: Ask a mentor or trusted believer if they’ve observed areas of your life where you have not continued in “the perfect law of liberty” (v. 25).

Talk with kids: How has God shown us generosity through Jesus?