Let the Mirror Be Your Guide
Mirrors reveal the ugly to help make us.png
Mirrors reveal the ugly to help make us.png
As you can tell by now, we are thrilled with our new motorhome and love nearly everything about it. I say “nearly” because there is one feature of the RV with which I have a love/hate relationship—the mirrors. I don’t know what it is about motorhomes, but most of them are adorned with an unreal number of mirrors. Ours is modest compared to some, but it still boasts several reflections. The entire kitchen backsplash is one long mirror, as is the headboard behind the bed. The face of the large closet door is completely covered with shiny glass, and the large medicine cabinet is a mirrored surface.
On the one hand, this is a nice feature because there are many places I can check my clothes, makeup, and overall appearance before stepping out into “the real world.” On the other hand, mirrors are not typically flattering. They reveal the truth of our image, whether or not we like it. And it was one such revelation that prompted me to action.
I’ve been talking about getting strict about my healthy eating for a while now, but with deputation, the task seemed nearly impossible. When you’re on the road all the time, living off fast food and caffeine, healthy eating is a fanciful goal, but not much more. On top of that, every church we stay at wants to feed us and feed us and feed us. So, lots of food, little exercise, a lack of sleep and time—a sure formula for weight gain. And I knew it. I knew I had packed on the pounds in the past year. I didn’t realize quite how much until living in this house of mirrors. Now, no matter where I go, I’m reminded of how distorted my figure has become. The unsightly bulges mock me from every room and angle.
A couple of weeks ago, I realized I had a choice to make. I could see my reflection, gasp in horror, and then walk away intending to do nothing about it, or I could make a change. I could allow those mirrors to guide me to better health. And that is what I have done. I have embarked on a new eating and exercise plan. Fortunately, God has given us the time to get these things in order, so I’ve taken advantage of this. I may not be able to go to the gym, but I can eat nutritious foods, take brisk walks, and do some basic movements in the comfort of my home. And that’s what I intend to do. . .all thanks to the many mirrors.
I don’t know if the apostle James knew what it was like to fight the battle of the bulge, but he had some knowledge of mirrors, notably the mirror of God’s Word. Look what he has to say:
“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. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
— James 1:22-25
Mirrors have a purpose, and although they often seem cruel in their attention to detail, they intend to help us. They’re not designed to show us the spinach in our teeth or the chaotic state of our hair simply to make us feel bad. On the contrary, the point is to give us our best chance of success. Mirrors reveal the ugly to help make us beautiful. They divulge the flaws so we can correct them. They show us the truth to aid us in becoming the best versions of ourselves. And the Bible is the most magnificent mirror of all!
What good is a mirror is one passes by it, looks in it, and walks away, forgetting (or not caring) to tend to the many flaws revealed? Who, in their right mind, would look at themselves in the mirror, see their hair sticking up in every direction and the drool dried to their face, and not do something about it before leaving the house for an important meeting? Mirrors are useful, but only if we do something about what we see in them.
James reminds us it’s good to read and hear the word of God, but he says we need to be doers and not just hearers. It’s one thing to know the Ten Commandments; it’s another to obey them. It’s nice to quote Scripture, but it’s nicer to live according to it. Hearing is great. We need to hear. But what’s the point if we’re not going to do anything about it? Hearing the Word of God doesn’t do us any good if we don’t apply it to our lives, just as the mirror does no good if we fail to act upon what we see.
Did you notice what James had to say in verse 25? He tells us that those who heed the word and apply it to their lives will be blessed in their deeds. In other words, they’ll be successful. Now, James isn’t talking about “health and wealth” principles here, but he’s stating a matter of fact. Those who are doers of the word will succeed in the right things. They will succeed in the things that truly matter. Why? Because they did something about the image reflected at them. They let the Mirror be their guide. Will you?