Ever Meet A Mirror You Didn’t Like?

Posted on August 11, 2021 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.”

James 1:23-24 (NKJV)

 

There was a song back in 1972 that had a pretty decent swing to it and a very clear message. Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain” seemed to be on the airwaves every time my mom had the radio on in the car that year. To this day I can hear Carly echo as I look into a mirror to check my hair… “You’re so vain, I bet you think this song is about you, don’t you, don’t you?” Granted, there are times when one has to wonder if there is enough room in a mirror for one’s ego but I better digress from this. Why? Because, biblically speaking, “Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:2) and if there is one thing in this world that can bring a man down fast, it’s vanity. Believe that!!

 

Don’t get me wrong, a mirror is something that has its benefit. I can’t tie a tie around my neck properly without one. I could brush my teeth without one but that may mean I brush until my gums bleed. And guys, let’s not forget shaving, try and do that without a mirror and your face may become pretty carved up. We’ll need to agree that a mirror tells us to adjust stuff so we don’t choke, slice and brush ourselves silly. So, can we say the same thing about God’s Word? Would God’s Word be the mirror that Holy Spirit would use to enables us to see ourselves as we really are? How about the way God sees us? Hmm…

 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” (James 1:22)

 

I’m a guy who just got done another 4+ year of school in studying every book and topic in the Bible. I’ve been told that if you don’t study God’s Word on a regular basis, I would limit my ability to make good decisions and be susceptible to worldly temptations. Well, even though I’ve done all that, it’s been through my studies that I found out God doesn’t want me to sit on my hands, in a pew, in a church, on a Sunday. When He sees that I made all that academic accomplishment and sees that I do nothing with it, all the while thinking I’m in right relationship with Him, He knows I ain’t reflecting anything that’s close to Jesus. There’s no blessing in hearing the Word, there’s blessing in doing what it says.

 

So, this brings me to the passage of Scripture I opened with today. If you’re someone who can walk by a mirror, ignore it and not even give it a second thought then your content with the way you look. Don’t take this outta context either, some folks are just that way. However they look to the world is however they look but for the Christian you shouldn’t be that content. We can’t just take a quick look at Scripture and go “I’m good.” Here’s a little diddy you might remember…

 

“Now a certain ruler asked Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.” (Luke 18:18-23)

 

Ya see, this young man saw himself as complete until he couldn’t reflect the heart of Jesus. He “had one eye in the mirror as he watched himself gavotte.” The Rich Young Ruler hadn’t done a very good job of taking his spiritual inventory before he approached The Mirror before he took his bow. This is pretty much how vanity works. We’re good ‘cos we say we’re good and that makes it the final good. We say, “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who’s the ‘Rico Suavest’ of them all” instead of “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, do you see Christ in me at all.”

 

So, if you’re ever wondering what you look like to God just run yourself through His Word and see how you fair. Sometimes all we gotta do is take a cruise through those Proverbs. Solomon had himself some wisdom and maybe you’ll stumble across something that sings out, “You’re so vain! I bet you think this verse is about you.” Amen?

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a husband, a father, has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of The Colony of Mercy. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of ^[a]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[b]us, because it did not know Him. 1 John 3:1