MIRRORS

“Mirror, mirror on the wall...who is fairest of them all.” 
 

I believe this came from a fairy tale, but never did I see that in full bloom like I did on one particular day. It was the first day of junior high school. Former sixth grade girls came together from four and an out of town school came together for their first day of seventh grade. When I got there prior to the first class, I was shocked. It seemed that all of those girls had congregated in the bathroom that was a good size room. Over several sinks was one long mirror on the wall. Girls were pushing here and there to look in the mirror in order to put their last curl in place or to put makeup on they hadn't worn much of until that day. That mirror was of vital importance on that day and other days as well. That mirror became a real security item for vulnerable girls away from grade school for the first time who felt they were suddenly someone different than they had been at the end of sixth grade.

When trying on my wedding gown at the store for a final fitting, I stood for a time in front of a three way mirror. Then a lady took me to a door and told me to go inside. There I found myself in a very small area surrounded by mirrors. In that small area, no matter where I looked, I could see a different view of myself in my gown. If there had been any problem with that gown from the front, back or sides, it wouldn't have been hard to see it.

Mirrors are important to women and men alike. Mirrors show what we look like and what improvements we need to make in our appearances. There's nothing wrong with mirrors if they don't become an obsession. Mirrors come in all sizes and shapes. Some can be carried in a purse while some hang on a wall. There are mirrors that are floor length while others may hang in a home for decoration only. However, just about everyone who passes by a mirror will do a quick check of what they look like.

Along with the various kind of mirrors we can purchase and use for whatever purposes, we can find in Scripture something about a mirror. Even though Scripture may refer to mirrors as being a “glass” the purpose is still the same. Our spiritual mirror isn't meant to be a wall decoration. Our spiritual mirror also comes in various sizes and shapes. It is the entirety of the Word of God, our Bibles...that mirror can show us on any given day what we look like to our Father and what smudges of sin and self need to be removed.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearer
only, deceiving your own selves
For if any be a hearer of the word, and not
a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural
face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and
straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
James 1:22-24

Here we see the word “glass” that in Scripture refers to something that reflects. If it's a glass we look into, we will see our spiritual reflection. In the above verses we see a command to be doers of the word of God. We see if we are only hearers of the Word and not doers, we walk in disobedience. The Word of God is our mirror that gives us instruction in living for and serving God. The Word becomes our spiritual mirror that will reveal not just the things we are doing right but also convicts of those things we are doing wrong...sin. Some will see sin and just walk away from that precious mirror with no corrections. I can just about guarantee that not one of those junior high girls standing before that long mirror in that bathroom walked away with a hair out of place. We must be just as meticulous in looking into God's Word seeing what we look like spiritually. We must not walk away without responding to what our wonderful mirror shows us.

We have wonderful opportunities of beholding God in ways the world will never understand. It is a process by which we are miraculously changed to be like Him through the Holy Spirit.

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass
the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit
of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18

James again tells us that our mirror is the perfect law of liberty. If we are doers and continue in God's will, we will be a blessed people.

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty,
and continueth therein, he being not
forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed.
James 1:25

I don't know about you but I want God's blessing on my life. I have no excuse because I know the answer is my response to my spiritual mirror...the precious Word of God.

Father, I thank You for Your Word brought to us by Your Spirit. It's all about Your son Jesus and our being more like Him. As we look into Your mirror, may we be quick to comb away the sin and repent of those smudges of sin we see in our lives. In Jesus precious name...Amen