MIRROR-IMAGE

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I Was Just Thinking About – MIRROR-IMAGE.

A dear servant of God regularly posts on Facebook pithy statements for life, and prayers that succinctly summarize where one needs to be in relationship to The Lord and His Word. Earlier this week, he (S.L., Jr.) posted the following: “Some persons are extremely intolerant of the mistakes of others, failing to understand that their own attitude in this regard is a major mistake that can be avoided!” I commented on that post: “It is so easy to misplace one's spiritual mirror to get a true reflection of oneself.” It also caused me to relate to and think about the words, that too often are avoided, neglected or forgotten, in James 1:22-25, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

If or when we take time to look into our own spiritual mirror, what do we see? What do we think about that which we are seeing? What do remind ourselves of what we are supposed to see and do? John Piper wrote in Desiring God (Romans 8:29), “God’s purpose in creation and redemption is to have a family of children conformed to the image of his Son. But how does that happen in me?” Ken Boa wrote in Decision Magazine (February 2014), “In the last several years, I have adapted and used this prayer by Richard of Chichester in my own quiet times before the Lord: Thanks be to Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which Thou hast given us; for all the pains and insults which Thou hast borne for us. O most merciful redeemer, may we know Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly; for Thine own sake.” He added: “If we are to love God completely, it will involve our whole personality—our intellect, our emotion and our will.”

Paul’s zeal for the churches is always to the end that the people will know Jesus Christ, whom to know is life eternal. There was an intensity in his ministry in terms of the image one projects before others. An example is Galatians 4:18-19, “It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!” The operative phrase is: “until Christ is formed in you.” Verse 19 (NLT) states the phrase: “I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.” (AMP) translates it: “My little children, for whom I am again in [the pains of] labor until Christ is [completely and permanently] formed within you…” Note the emphasis – “completely and permanently” formed within you. When that image is completely and permanently functional with us, what reflection will we then see in our spiritual mirror? Will it be “Me” or will it be Jesus?

As we get caught up with our own personal lives, needs, challenges, fears and uncertainties, it is too easy to avoid looking into our own spiritual mirror rather than commenting on the deficiencies or faults of others. And when we look into that mirror, it should remind us that the way we can be formed and conformed in the image of Jesus Christ is only because of His matchless and marvelous grace. Annie Johnson Flint (1866-1932) could have easily focused upon her needs. Her biography shares: “After high school, she spent one year in teacher training and had a position offered to her…Later in her second year of teaching, arthritis began to show itself. She grew steadily worse until it became difficult for her to walk at all, and she was soon obliged to give up her work, followed by three years of increasing helplessness.” It was during those years that she wrote: “He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater, He sendeth more strength when the labors increase; To added afflictions He addeth His mercy, To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace. His love has no limits, His grace has no measure, His power no boundary known unto men; For out of His infinite riches in Jesus He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again.” Does this represent the image of you that you see in your spiritual mirror? It should be! It must be!

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!