Mirror, Mirror

Mirror Mirror

“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

Have you ever wondered why a mirror was created? Seems to be only one reason really,  so we could look at ourselves. 

The first mirrors were usually small amounts of water collected into small vessels or bowls that reflected a persons image. Later, obsidian, a stone created by volcanic heat, was used. And as time evolved, metals and glass were used. 

The word mirror is derived from the Latin word Mirari - which means “to admire”. Mirrors were usually only possessed by the rich, and apparently the vain. 

Mirrors are used to look at yourself. Of course today they are used in so many other applications; telescopes, medical machinery and cameras. The most common, prolific use of the mirror however, is in its everyday use, to look back at yourself. 

In society today it is so easy to get caught up in the struggles, routines and demands of every day life. Work, socialization, hobbies, responsibilities, fitness, feeding, all takers of our time and all designed with us in mind. It’s what ends up defining us. We feed ourselves before we feed anyone else. And the feeding usually begins first thing in the day. We become our most important thing. 

Often times these things that we put in front of us become who we are, are maybe it’s the other way around. The things we become are those things we put in front of us. Most of us are proud accomplishers, ready at the mark for everyone to know what we’ve done for ourselves and for everyone else. 

It’s so hard to do things that you don’t practice. I struggle enormously here on most days. Such as being doers of the word, not just hearers, or readers or seers of the word. There are so many things we give our time to. So many things that we let define us. 

It’s easy to listen to a sermon or to read your Bible and to check it off the weekly list. For some, maybe it’s just a daily routine, a reading plan to get through the Bible in a year or even a job. 

Either way, no matter how you do it, or why, are you living it?  Are you able to stand in front of that mirror and look at yourself and know that you are living what you hear? Are you living what you read? Are you living what you preach?

It’s so hard for many of us, this guy included, to live a life that models the Bible. 

Frustrations, bitterness, vanity, coveting and so so many more things are difficult to avoid daily.  It’s easier to live our lives the way we want to live it, with our desires, our wants and our passions and still throw in the way the Bible commands we live. 

There is so much more to living your life the way you want to live it. Live it the way the Bible intends for it to be lived.  Give up those guilty pleasures, putting aside selfish desires and avoiding the temptations of sin.  

The Bible has all the answers of how you should be living your life so you can see the person you’re meant to be when you look in the mirror. Don’t forget the manner of person you should be.  

“The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:1-2‬

“A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29:23‬