Proper Response

James 1:23-25, "For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 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. (NLT)

There is a word found in verse 24 of this scripture that has challenged me over the past few days. How easy is it for me to "forget" what I saw when I looked into the mirror of the Word of God? I can find many reasons to justify my forgetfulness. 

I can choose to forget because I chose to compare myself with other believers and my self comparison caused me to feel "better off" than my brethren. I can choose to forget because I bargained with God and told Him that I would be back at a later time to deal with the issue that was brought to my attention through the Word of God. I can choose to forget because I willfully rejected the revelation from God and walked away from the encounter with Him through the act of disobedience. I can choose to forget because I was "too busy" or "too distracted" and did not have time to make the proper and appropriate response to God. 

I can keep adding to my list of excuses and I can explain my justification in a rational manner. BUT the real question keeps re-appearing; "Will God accept any of them as a true reason for my forgetfulness and my act of rejecting Him? I am afraid that the answer is NO! It is possible that I may hear the words Paul spoke in Romans 2:1a,"Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man,..." 

I think that I will choose to remember and respond to the times when the Spirit challenges my heart to draw closer to Him. My list of excuses may be rejected by the One (Jesus Christ) who gave His all for my salvation.