“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers 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
My mirror is rather cruel. It reveals the truth, whether I like it or not. I tend to think of myself as being young, handsome and thin. The mirror shows me otherwise.
The temptation is to see the flaws in others while overlooking my own. The mirror reminds of the painful truth that I have many flaws myself.
I believe my purpose in life is to walk with God and be used of Him to make a positive impact in the lives of others. Making a difference is a lofty goal, but there are some practical principles we need to understand. Last week, we learned that only God can make an eternal impact in the lives of people. Here's another principle we need to understand. I call it the mirror principle. Here's the lesson: before God can use me to make a difference, He often works first to make a difference in the person I see in the mirror.
I look in the mirror every day, what about you? When I look in the mirror, I often see things I would never know about. If there is a speck of dirt on my face, I probably wouldn't know about it if I didn't see it in the mirror. Of course, everyone around me would know about it.
Spiritually, the Bible is a mirror for the soul. When we read the Word, it reveals matters of the heart. The mirror of God's Word shows us how we really are instead of how we wish to be seen.
In John 17:17, the Bible says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” The word, “sanctify,” means, “to be set apart.” At conversion, we were set apart as God's people. Practically, we are being set apart day by day with the Word of God. God uses the mirror of His Word to show us what He sees. He sees us more thoroughly than we see ourselves.
God's sanctifying work includes radical change. He changes our character, our conduct and our conversations. Sanctification is the process by which we are molded to be more and more like Jesus.
No, the mirror doesn't show me what I want to see, but it does show me what I need to see. I need to see the truth. I need to see reality.
David once prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” If you pray like this, be prepared for radical change.
God is serious about our sanctification and we should be, too. He is not interested in the person I intend to be or pretend to be. He is focused on sanctifying the person I see in the mirror every day.
Yes, it is easier to spot sin in the lives of others, but it is our sins that need attention. The first step in impacting the lives of others comes as they see our lives impacted by a work of grace. God uses us to make a difference when He makes a difference in us first. That is the mirror principle.
What do you see in the mirror?
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