Mirror, Mirror: Do You Remember Who You Are in Christ? | Study of James 1:17-27

One hard day can mess with your memory. You know God has been faithful, you’ve seen prayers answered, you’ve watched doors open, and still a single painful moment can crowd out all that evidence. That’s why I love James 1:17–27. It gives us a simple, challenging picture: God’s Word is a mirror, and the real question is whether we remember what we saw after we walk away.

I’m calling this devotional Mirror Mirror because the passage hits two sides of spiritual growth at once: identity and action. James warns us not to merely listen to Scripture while our lives stay the same, and he gets specific about what living faith looks like, including being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. We talk about how the “reflection” of faith shows up in our reactions, our words, and the way we treat people when life feels unfair.

If you need Christian encouragement, practical Bible study from the Book of James, and a reminder of who you are in Christ, press play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review if the message helps you.

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Welcome And Devotional Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast episode 115. This week's devotional is titled Mirror Mirror. Do you remember who you are in Christ? Study of James 1, 17 through 27. Let's go. Hi, I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart. My journey in love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hawk Podcast. This is a weekly devotional I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, God worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith woven together with Scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted, and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals

Mirror Mirror And James 1

SPEAKER_00 1:08

together. Let's all pray within. Kicking off this one a little different. Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all? I know we all know that famous line, right? So welcome back. And we are continuing our study of James. And today we're focusing on James 1, 17 through 27. One of the verses that stood out to me most was James 1, 24. And it says, And after looking at himself, he goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. That image made me think about reflection. When you look at yourself through a mirror of God's word, do you remember what you saw? Or do you walk away and forget?

The Prom Makeup That Hid Me

SPEAKER_00 1:52

I remember getting my makeup done for my junior-senior dance in high school, basically our version of prom. And I was a junior, and my mom booked an appointment for me at the local department store. If I'm remembering correctly, the makeup artist worked for Mac. I showed them my dress, which was this shimmery gold gown inspired by um one of Halle Berry's looks from like an Academy Award show. My hair was big and curly, somewhere between Beyoncé and the Check On It video, Check Up On It video, and Farah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels. Cool combination, huh? So when I got home after getting my makeup done and finally looked in the mirror with my dress on, I barely recognized myself. The foundation and complexion looked beautiful, but the eyebrows, eyeshadow, and lashes were just so dramatic. Looking back at it now, I felt a little bit like a drag queen. And it was just so much makeup and it didn't feel like me. But I went along with it. I went to the dance and I still had a nice time. The funny thing was that people would walk right past me without recognizing me. They had to stop and let and let it register that it was actually me. People were shocked and they remember and I remember thinking, okay, I don't know if this look is for me. The next year, my senior year dance, I had my makeup done again. I believe that time it was done by Dior, and the look was just so soft. I loved it because when I looked in the mirror, I saw myself. Those are the pictures I kept coming back to because I looked glamorous, but I still but I still looked like me. Now imagine someone walking past you and not recognizing you. That sometimes happens when someone loses a lot of weight, has surgery, or dramatically changes their appearance. But what if the change were on the inside?

When Hard Days Change Your Spirit

SPEAKER_00 3:53

What if someone who you who knew your faith the same saw the way you responded to a hard moment and wondered, what happened to that person I know? What if you look into a mirror and see the condition of your spirit? One day you've been in church reading the Bible, praising God, and thanking God for everything. Your spirit looks bright, joyful, and just full of life. Then something different happens. The next time you look into the spiritual mirror, everything appears dark. You're discouraged, angry, afraid, and questioning everything. What happened? Sometimes one difficult situation makes us forget everything God has done for us. We forget who we are in Christ. We forget the prayers he has already answered, we forget the doors he has already opened, and all the times he's carried us through something we thought we would never survive. And James uses the mirror to challenge us, I feel. We can hear God's word, feel encouraged, and agree with everything we've heard, but then walk away and live as though we never heard it. One painful event can occupy so much space in your minds that it crowds out all the years of evidence of God's faithfulness. And James is asking us to remember what we saw in God's word after we walk away from the mirror.

Three Lessons From The Mirror

SPEAKER_00 5:20

So I just want to share three things that stood out to me in this passage that really reflect perfectly to the reflection. So the first one don't only listen to God's word, put it into practice. In James 1 22, it says, do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourself. Do what it says. You know, that the reflection in the mirror as I as I really read through this and analyze this, I feel that the reflection in the mirror should show the actions you are putting forth due to your faith and listening to God's word. That's so important, guys. So number two, don't look at the truth about yourself and then immediately forget it. Stay connected to the word. Remember that God has remember what God has said about you and allow the truth to shape the way you respond when life becomes difficult. So I encourage you to remember the reflection of what God has done for you. Don't forget it. And number three, our faith should be reflected in our actions and in the way we treat other people. James talks about controlling our words, caring for people in need, and not allowing the world to corrupt us. And in James 1.19, it says, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Those are the lessons that I want us to take away from this passage.

Job Loss And A Shaking Moment

SPEAKER_00 6:57

And recently I've had to think very seriously about my own reflection. Um, also a few episodes ago, I shared that I lost my job on July 28th, the same day my daughter had an MRI. We had been waiting for those results, and thankfully we received good news and the M about the MRI. Then around 10 o'clock in the morning, I saw an unexpected email from a group VP, and it was a generic email telling me that my role had been eliminated because of restructuring. I was hurt, I was upset, I panicked. My boss didn't even know that the email was going out at that exact moment or everything that was happening, honestly. And we spoke afterwards, and she was she was wonderful. She was so sensitive to everything. And honestly, she's been one of the best leaders I've ever had. I could tell that having that conversation with me hurt her too. So near the end of our conversation, she said something I didn't expect, though. She told me that the company thought highly of me and wanted to see whether there was another internal role I could move into so they could keep me with the company. I was surprised. I thought, okay, that's interesting. The next day I spoke with a recruiter. They were very kind and asked me to find um about four jobs on the company career site that interest that interest me. Honestly, I was skeptical. There were jobs, there was like one job or two that seemed interesting, but I felt like they're not gonna give me that job. I don't have like all the credentials in the world. So I, you know, I like I said, I was a little skeptical. But I went into the conversation with the recruiter, feeling a little nonchalant, like is it like it is what it is, you know? But then I felt a nudge from God, and it was as if the mirror came up again. I saw my reflection and I remembered something I had almost set aside. About a month ago, before I lost my job, I had applied for another position internally. I genuinely believed I would be a good fit. I interviewed for the role, received great feedback, and felt that the hiring manager really liked me. The biggest issue was the location. They wanted the person working in West Palm Beach. The company had just opened a West Palm Beach office, so they're trying to grow the office population. So for anyone unfamiliar with South Florida, I live in Miami and depending on traffic, West Palm Beach can be about two hours away or more. I couldn't relocate. My daughter has medical needs, we own our home and our life and support system are here in Miami. My husband also has a very, very good job. We can't move. Moving to West Palm Beach simply wasn't an option. I asked whether they would be they I asked, you know, I guess I asked whether there might be another um arrangement. I had always worked remotely, so I offered to travel there once a week or possibly twice a week if necessary, and then work remotely for the rest of the week. At the time they told me no, they needed someone who could be based in West Palm Beach. So we parted ways in the interview process. I was disappointed, but I wasn't angry. That was their expectation, and I accepted it. So a few weeks later, shortly before my job was eliminated on July 28th, I noticed that the position I had interviewed for had been reposted. They still hadn't found someone. Now, fast forward back to this conversation with the recruiter after losing my job. I felt God nudged me to bring up that opportunity again. I was a little nervous because I had already heard no, but I realized that perhaps God was preparing something for me and I needed to follow the nudge.

The Nudge To Ask Again

SPEAKER_00 10:49

So I told the recruiter about the position. I explained that I had previously interviewed for it and that the job was still open. I was also honest about the location. I told them, I live in Miami, I can't commute to West Palm Beach every day, but I could travel there once a week or perhaps twice a week if needed. The recruiter said, Let me get back to you. Waited a couple, like a week or so, um, and I received an interview for the same job. I spoke with the hiring manager again. We had a great conversation. Then I interviewed with a VP, and that conversation went very very well, I felt. Afterwards, I had to wait. I kept saying to myself, like, are they really okay with me working remotely? I didn't want to assume that the location requirement had changed. I needed a clear answer. Then around the middle of August, I received a job offer, and they were gonna they were okay with me going into the office once a week. They offered me the role, the same role I had wanted from the beginning. I was shocked. It was a wonderful opportunity, it was an increase in pay and a great way to continue supporting my family. I couldn't believe what God had brought. I couldn't believe that God had brought that opportunity back around again. And now I've officially started the new job this week. When I look back, I can also see God's hand in the timing. My daughter had surgery a few weeks ago, um, and during that time between roles, I was able to be physically and mentally present for her. I could watch her recover and be there as she started her new school as well. I'm so thankful for that time, guys. I'm so thankful. I couldn't see all of this on July 28th. At that moment, I was hurt. I didn't understand what God was doing, but God reminded me of an opportunity that hadn't worked out the first time. And it was as if I looked into the mirror again and remembered who I was in God's eyes. I was his child. I remembered who I am in God, and I remembered that he can provide. But I also had to allow him to guide

Faith That Moves With Action

SPEAKER_00 12:55

me. When he nudged me, I had to take action. And that takes me back to James 1.22 that says, do what it says. When God gives you direction, you still have to follow through. You know, you may need you may need to make the call, submit the application, have the conversation, ask the question, or revisit an opportunity you thought are that you thought had already passed you by. You have to put action behind your faith, basically. James expands on this later in the letter with James 2.26 that says, As the body, as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead. That doesn't mean we earn God's love or our salvation by performing enough good deeds. We receive salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Yes. Our actions, though, are the evidence that our faith is living and active. And if we want to live the full, productive, and purposeful lives God desires for us, we must be willing to put forth the effort. We have to act on what he teaches us, what he hands to us. Sometimes that action means caring for someone in need. Um, sometimes it means controlling our words, listening instead of speaking, refusing to respond to anger. And sometimes it just means having the courage to bring up an opportunity again after you have already been told no. So I'm just thankful for my new opportunity. I'm thankful for my daughter's new school. I'm thankful that God helped me reflect on who I am in him through this situation. I am not perfect, I make mistakes, but I'm grateful that God loves me while I'm still learning and growing in him.

Two Questions To Take Home

SPEAKER_00 14:43

So I want to leave this with you, leave this question with you. What has God shown in the mirror of his word that you need to remember today? And what action do you need to take because of it? Don't look into the mirror, walk away, and forget who you are, my friends. Remember what God has shown you. Remember who you are in Christ. Remember that he has already brought you through, and then act on what he is calling you to do. I hope you feel encouraged today. I'm just so thankful for my new job, so thankful to be able to share this with you, thankful for my daughter's new school, like I mentioned earlier, and just so thankful for God's faithfulness through it all. Love you all. Till next

Closing Prayer And Next Steps

SPEAKER_00 15:27

time. Let's pray. Lord, thank you for loving us, showing us the truth through your word. Help us remember what you have taught us, Lord, especially when life becomes just so hard. Make us, you know, make us quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, Lord. Give us the courage to act on what we hear and the humility to return to you when you fall apart. Help us to remember who we are in Christ and all the ways you have carried us before. Thank you for caring for our families. Thank you so much, Lord, for this podcast. Thank you for directing our paths and guiding us one step at a time. I pray for everybody who's been listening today and this week. Encourage them, Lord. Father, we love you and we praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. Love you all. Till next week, continuing the study of James. God bless. Well, that wraps up this week's episode. I hope these devotions help you draw closer to God each day. If this episode encouraged you, please share it with someone who might need the same message. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a weekly episode. Also, if you feek if you feel compelled, leaving a nice review would be so appreciated as well. For more information or to reach out, check the show notes or visit jessimorganhome.com or find me on Instagram at Jessie MorganLife. Remember, God's timing is always perfect. Keep trusting him. Until next time, this is Jesse Morgan praying off.