I Forgot.

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. James 1.23-24

Perhaps you have heard the comedy routine in which Steve Martin posed the question, “How many times do we let ourselves get into terrible situations because we don’t say “I forgot”?” These magic words can deliver one from all sorts of trouble, or so Martin’s tongue-in-cheek comedy proposes. I think we all know better. Forgetting is seldom an acceptable excuse for a failure to do what we ought to have done. Last week we considered James’ warning against deceiving ourselves into thinking that merely hearing is enough. In this week’s passage we are warned against the danger of forgetfulness.

“If anyone” unfortunately encompasses us all in that we are all guilty at times of hearing the word and failing to follow-through with obedient action. In whatever instances in our lives this may be true of us, we are likened here to someone who looks intently upon his own face in the mirror and walks away with no further concern for what he looked like. The picture here is of one who looks into the mirror of God’s word and is confronted with something that needs correction. This hearer immediately forgets what they look like, that is, ceases to care about what they have seen. Suffice it to say, this warning is for you today, as it is for me.

Imagine a man stopping into a restroom to check his appearance before an important meeting. The mirror makes him aware that his face is smudged, his hair is wind-blown, and the knot of his neck-tie is crooked. Now imagine that man walking away from the mirror and heading straight into his meeting without doing anything to correct the problems he just saw with his own eyes in the mirror. Absurd, isn’t it? Likewise, how absurd for you and I to leave the mirror of God’s word and forget what we have seen there, doing nothing to correct it.

As a state leader, your responsibilities dictate a high degree of multi-tasking and an ability to manage multiple priorities. It requires careful organization and record-keeping to ensure that important action items do not fall through the cracks. It is easy to forget to do something you were supposed to do. Lists, tickle-files, calendars, and the assistance of others to stay on track are all invaluable in your desire to be known as a doer and not a forgetter.

And so it is in our lives as followers of Jesus Christ. If we are serious about being doers, and not merely forgetful hearers, we must make use of whatever means possible to act upon the word when we hear it. In whatever form you hear the word—sermons, Bible study, daily reading—consider how lists, reminders, calendars, and personal accountability can help you to follow-through in doing what you ought. You will certainly find this approach more effective in delivering you from trouble than trying to use the worn-out excuse, “I forgot.”