In the end, introspection is the key that unlocks the first door on this journey. James, the brother of Jesus, said it this way:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25
I love introspection, looking inward, looking in the mirror, and then being convicted and getting to change. This passage is so important because it brings up how important it is to keep looking inward. It is not just a one-time occasion. I continually look for God’s Spirit to guide me when He awakens me in the night. The more you look inward, the more you will progress. The more you change, the more you will want to change because it ends embarrassment, shame, guilt, etc. Remorse, penitence, contrition and change feel good and are better than any meal on the planet!
