I hate to shave.

Shaving wastes about seven minutes daily. The math equals to almost three days annually. If I live to eighty years of age, then eight months will have been dedicated to scraping whiskers off my face.

I hate to shave.

I try to minimize the time and maximize the experience. Over a year ago I bought a shower shaving mirror from Bed, Bath, Bathroom, Basement, Bargains, and Beyond. However, the reflective surface never impressed me. After a cleaning with Windex, the so-so surface dissolved into a blur.

So my wife and I visited the Bed, Bath, Bathroom, Basement, Bargains, and Beyond to buy a replacement. I found the same model and held it up for my wife’s inspection. “See,” I said with annoyance, “it’s as bad as the previous one.”

Tracy gave me THAT look wives reserve for their sometimes slow husbands. Then she reached over and pulled a plastic layer off the reflective surface. With a sigh, she asked, “You DO realize that these ship with a protective cover over the mirror, don’t you?”

Sure enough, I could see myself clearly in the mirror . . . which got me to thinking . . . .

When we arrived home, I went to the master bathroom shower and examined the old mirror. I carefully scratched the corner with a fingernail. Lo and behold, a protective sheet peeled away from the surface. I stared in amazement at the clear image looking back at the idiot looking into the mirror.

The incident recalled a New Testament passage from James 2:22-25. The author—traditionally identified as Jesus’ brother and the leader of the Jerusalem church—emphasized good works are an essential complement to deep faith. He wrote:

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 someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like!

However, it’s hard to DO God’s word if we don’t first READ it. So open your Bible and take a good look. You’ll be amazed at the clear vision God reveals.

And, by the way—I still hate to shave.