Mirror Mirror On the Wall…
Mirror Mirror on the Wall, tell me something truly amazing about myself.
When looking in the mirrors at the fun house we are often amazed by the distorted views of those mirrors. Maybe we like that they make us taller, thinner, or shape us in all the right places. Have you ever stood in front of one of those mirrors and said, “I need one of these at home!”
As my daughter and I were cleaning up in the kitchen, she looked into the stainless steel pot and said, “Mommy, why does my head look weird in metal?”
Just as in the funhouse mirror or the mirror mirror in the fairy tales, we want the reflection we see to be the best representation of ourselves. We want it to look like who we believe we are. We certainly don’t want it to look “weird”. I don’t want it to point out my flaws or my facial blemishes. I certainly don’t want it to reflect me in all the wrong places.
As we read scripture, we often have one major grief with it, it points out our most major flaw, that we are sinners.
Not a True Reflection
Instead of holding the Bible up to a funhouse mirror, as believers, we may do several things. We may read only the parts that make us feel good or the parts that help us reflect us getting our “Best Christian” Award. We may take God’s attributes that we like and that are flattering to cover our sins, like love, grace, and mercy and capitalize on them.
Just so we don’t get a true reflection of what the Bible says, we may even go to the extent of never reading its contents. We may only rely on someone else to give us it’s translations. We may have to dust it off every time we need to carry it somewhere.
Why go to all these extents to not see who we truly are?
My husband is great at pointing out my flaws on my best days. “You are being too critical.” “Honey, don’t you think, you are being negative.” “You need to show more kindness.” “That wasn’t very loving.”
Sometimes it makes me madder than a wet hornet to hear these things. Not because he is trying to hurt me but because they are true. (Don’t tell him I said that 😉 ) I don’t always want to know that I am being ugly, but to be honest, I need it.
My goal isn't to just become good or better at things. My goal in life is to become godly and strive toward holiness. To do that requires me to lay down my sinful ways and become more like Jesus. Share on XSharper than a Double-Edged Sword
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
The Bible is capable of showing me more than what my husband and family can see. The Bible is able to penetrate deep into my heart. It will get down to my innermost being and divide what is holding me together, my joints and marrow and my spirit and soul. God’s Word will slice a dividing line right in the middle of them.
The Bible is able to cut to the matter of my sin faster and sharper than anyone because God knows the attitudes of my heart that no one can see. The things I hold deep inside of me are not off limits to God. (Hebrews 4:13) Share on XThe Bible is able to divide my soul and my spirit. Meaning it can divide my personality, my human tendencies from the part that wants to do what is right. Paul says in Romans.
For I do not do the good I want to do. Instead, I keep on doing the evil I do not want to do. Romans 7:20 (BSB)
We want to do good but we are often torn and continue on doing what is evil. Our flesh is waging war against us soul.
The Bible is able to divide my soul and spirit. Down to the deepest parts of my heart and mind, the Bible is able to get in their and work.
Why?
Because it is alive and active. It is capable of giving me the help and restoration that I need to become more like Christ.
Don’t Forget What You Look Like
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. James 1:22-24 (BSB)
How often do we hear or read God’s Word and walk away and walk right back into our sinful ways? James is such an encouragement to the Christian walk but he is honest, something we don’t often like to hear.
We know what is right when we have read God’s Word. We have sought it out for guidance and then we walk away. As we go back to our daily lives, we soon forget. We forget it’s value, purpose, and it’s assurances. We quickly forget the blessings and the promises that God lays out right before our eyes.
We become the man who walks away from the mirror and forgets what he truly looks like. Then we forget who and whose we truly are.
Instead of going back to it and seeing the reflection of ourselves and God’s living words, we stumble through life with no solid grounding. A forgotten reflection of our true selves becomes a hurdle to cross.
Our only Hope
God’s Word not only teaches us who we truly are but offers us the only hope and the only way to truly fix it.
As we continue in this Christmas season, may we not become numb to the reality that our busyness is only Satan's attempt to draw us away from spending time in the Word. Leaping us off the pages of truth and life into the world of… Share on XChrist came to be a God who dwelt among His people. He left all His glory and the side of His Father to come to Earth in the lowliest place. Born among the animals and lying in their feeding place, He came with a rescue mission.
This season is the celebration of that newborn King. It is truly about Him walking among us and showing us the hope and truth that until that point in history could only be read about.
The greatest hope of all was born on that first Christmas. Just as he came before, He will return again. Our longing for all to be right and our longing to look in the mirror and see our best selves will be a faded memory. Because one day we will not only see ourselves as Christ sees us but we will see Him for who He truly is.
Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. 1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)
He Will Return
One day Christ will return. In that moment, we will have to have made the decision about what we believe. The Bible is clear that every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord. (Philippians 2:10)
So while we celebrate this joyous occasion please don’t miss the opportunity to get to know Christ more. Open your Bible where you will see the closest reflection of who He is.
Need a good place to start reading your Bible or pick it back up? Matthew and Luke – Two of the four gospels give an account of Jesus’ birth.
**Starting Next Week, I am doing a series called Walking Among Us – Christ’s Journey on the Road. I hope you will join us on this journey as we look into Christ’s life, His interactions with the people around Him, and how that affects us today.
Also, next week I will run my blog party for 2 weeks because of Christmas Week. Please stop by so you can link up your new posts.**
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Michele Morin says
Wonderful that we have the Word of God, trusted friends, and honest husbands to act as mirrors, revealing our true selves — whether or not we want to see the truth!
Jaime Wiebel says
You are right. Sometimes, I think it would be better left unsaid until I see my true reflection isn’t reflecting that of God’s Word. A hard truth to let soak in but we can be made more like Him when we are able to change closer to being more like Him.
Rachel Lee says
Beautiful, Jaime. Yes, His word is the ONLY place that we can find our true identity. May we go there often.
Thanks for sharing your words with us today. <3
Jaime Wiebel says
So glad you are here, Rachel and thank you for your encouragement! His Word can set us free from who we are or think we are by changing us to be more like Him. I am so grateful that He gave us the gift of His Word!
KellyRBaker says
Jaime, I love every bit of this! That passage in James is one of my favorites. In my early walk with the Lord I would be so convicted by that passage, then grew to challenged by it, then loving it. Because after we allow the heart surgery done by the Word, we thrive in that new health.
Summer says
What a powerful post! I love the truth that the Bible can divide my personality. I have never thought about it that way, but so true! Thank you for this week’s link up!
April Boyer says
Ahh. Husbands. I had to smile. But my live-in mother and I have the same kind of conversations. I like to think I am a reflection of what’s best in her, and that we both reflect Jesus. But we do not always! Thankful that God is so gracious. Thank you for this nicely written reminder.
and I love the pretty header!
Denise Renae says
Such amazing truth, Jamie! Thanks for sharing your heart here and diving deep into this subject. Very well said!
Jaime Wiebel says
Thanks, Denise. I am so glad you are here. There are some things easier to avoid but I don’t think that helps us grow. I think it makes us stale. Digging deep into God’s heart has such great rewards.
Maree Dee says
Excellent post. I felt a little convicted with only reading the parts of the Bible I want to. Recently my small group decided to do Revelations. I contemplated finding a new group. I had no desire to read Revelations. I am a CPA, so I like things orderly and to make sense. However, I decided God put it there for a reason so I would jump in. We are four chapters in, and I am so glad I decided to stick with it.
Jaime Wiebel says
What a tough book Revelation can be. Hats off to you for taking that leap and by not restricting yourself to the parts of the Bible that are easy to take on. Revelation often gets avoided but knowing the end of the story can really give us insight into the hope that we hold on to. Thanks for sharing that and encouraging us to stick with those things, Maree. Have a wonderful week!