Mirrors. We use them every day, perhaps many times a day, to exam ourselves making sure we are presentable-- hair in place, clean teeth, checking if we have the right accessories on, etc. We know what we look like, but many times it is all in the details; after all, we do not want to walk around with broccoli in our teeth, right? If you looked in the mirror and did see broccoli in your teeth, you would not leave it (at least hopefully not); you would get rid of it.
James talks about mirrors in his first chapter (James 1:22-25) where he tells us to "not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." He continues by saying, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."
When we look into the spiritual mirror, the image we see should be that of Christ, not ourselves. When Christ is reflected in us, we do not forget what we look like. We do not forget who we belong to. We do not forget we are made in his image. It is all in the details of studying his Word, applying it to our lives, and making him a part of our daily lives. Verse 25, "But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it-- not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it-- they will be blessed in what they do."
As you know, a mirror helps us see what needs to be done. It shows us if we need to comb our hair, or if we have a stain on our shirt we would not see otherwise. But it is up to us to act upon what needs to be done. The mirror cannot comb our hair or remove the stain, it just reveals the issue.
Similarly, God's Word is our spiritual mirror and shows us the things in our life that need to change. What we see in the spiritual mirror often times is not seen in us, but that is okay. Remember, God's Word reveals what we need to change. We are a constant never-ending work in progress. Our Holy Spirit convicts us to make the necessary changes in order to become more Christ-like, but it is still up to us to change. The Lord created us with a free will. We can choose to either obey him or not. When we do obey him, we reflect more and more of his image, allowing those around us to see the true image and love of God.
We can walk in confidence when we reflect the image of Christ. Remember, it is all in the details of knowing we belong to him, studying his Word, and applying his Word to our life daily. The next time you look in the mirror, ask yourself, "Do I reflect the image of Christ?"
