It's Sunday morning, you get up, get ready and look at yourself in the mirror to make sure you look presentable. If something is out of place, you fix it before you leave and head to church, we all like to look our best in public. This cycle repeats itself in some form or fashion every day of the week. We always look at ourselves in the mirror before going out to make sure we look presentable.
What if we looked at ourselves in a spiritual mirror every day? When was the last time we looked into God's spiritual mirror (The Bible) and really paid attention to what we saw? If we did look at ourselves in that spiritual mirror what would we see? Would we see the fruits of the spirit as mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance? Or would we see indifference, anger, hurt, sadness, pride, a lack of faith, and being quick tempered? Would we see a close walk with God or would we see the sin that has separated us from our fellowship with Him?
I was recently in a Bible study with some friends and we were discussing the fruits of the spirit when God began to hold that mirror up. As we began to talk the Holy Spirit revealed to us that an indifference had settled into our heart. We had been acting like everything was ok on the outside but on the inside where people can't see, we were struggling. Wow talk about being knocked off your high horse.
So now for the first time in a while, we are face to face with ourselves in God's mirror. We felt guilt and sadness, the Lord had turned the spotlight from heaven on and it was shining directly into the dark places of our hearts. Some stated that the trials they had faced lately had made them numb and given them a bad attitude, and others began to speak up and say they had been going through the same thing. Without realizing it, trials and temptations had snuck into all of our lives, and we were not filled with the fruits of the spirit but rather the opposite. We had all dealt with hurt, sadness, and grief which allowed anger and bitterness to sneak into our lives and make us indifferent toward God's Word. Sin had slipped into our hearts and it was separating us further and further from God.
We closed out the Bible study by thanking God for holding that mirror up so we could see ourselves and asked Him to help us grow closer to Him. So now I ask you, when was the last time you looked at yourself in God's mirror? Did you like what you saw? For those that are looking and seeing things you don't like, don't allow the devil to make you feel like you're the only one going through this. You are not alone. The church is filled with people just like you struggling with all different types of things (anger, depression, hurt, etc.). Some just aren't at a place where they can see it yet.
1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
Tyler Crum
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