Mirrors

​I used to look at the girl staring back at me in the mirror and say terrible things to her. Things I would never say to anyone else.
 
“Your body is ugly. Ugh, look at ALL those stretch marks EVERYWHERE. Come closer, look at these new wrinkles… you look so old.” I tore her to shreds because I couldn’t believe she let herself get this way. With every harsh critique I plunged a knife deeper and deeper into her self confidence, killing it slowly. 
 
In Romans, Paul talks about shifting our focus to the Holy Spirit that lies within us. He writes, “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (Rom. 8:6-8).

​Notice, Paul speaks about a mindset. He doesn’t talk about actions that please God. 
 
When we use only our actions to please God, but don’t let Him in to renew our minds, we boil ourselves down to nothing but a religion. When you review your reflection on a surface level, you will easily be fooled. It is easy to appear clean on the outside, but it is far more complicated to have a well kept heart. For example:
            

• You can sit in a church and your mind can be absent. 
• You can read your Bible and not put the context into action. 
• You can gossip without using a cuss word. 

 
On the flip side, when we rest our eyes on the temptations of the world, we disregard God all together, finding no rest at all. You can’t avoid the mirror and expect to avoid problems : 

• “I don’t want to feel convicted by my Bible, I’ll read later.” 
• “I don’t want to go to church because I have social anxiety. I'll try next week.”
• I know I’m really not supposed to… but I really want to. I’ll tell Jesus ‘sorry’ tomorrow.” 

 
Any of these thoughts sound familiar to you? Me too. 
 
The religious person looks in the mirror and likes what they see because they can’t see any further. The procrastinator avoids the mirror afraid of what they might discover or have to change. What they both fail to realize is that no matter what person stands in front of the mirror, their reflections will always have one thing in common: sin. 
 
We have a flesh mindset because we are sinful, but when we put our faith in God we can see through God's eyes. 
 
 So what is the point of the mirror? The point of the mirror is that it shows us where and how we need Jesus in our lives. The mirror can be used as a tool instead of a judge. 
 
I abused the girl in the mirror for far too long. I had failed to mention how loved she was. It was when she stopped acknowledging me and turned to God, her confidence was resurrected.
 
“You are more than just a body.” He said to her, “Your stretch marks are reminders of the two miracles I have given you and where you see wrinkles, I see growth.” She felt alive again. 
 
Who are you listening to when you look in the mirror? Today, dig into God’s word without hesitation. Look at it with new eyes and ask God to search your heart. Remind yourself of the Holy Spirit that lives within you and draw near to Jesus for it is by Him we are saved.

Memory Verse: “Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” Romans 3:20

About the Author

Hi, I'm Taylor Watkins! I live in the North Georgia mountains with my husband and best friend, Ethan. Our humble abode is decorated with pink and purple crayon drawings and cut-out paper hearts, created by our two sweet daughters. Black cups of coffee, inspiring books, writing, fuzzy blankets, and deep belly laughs are some of my favorite things. I am all about some comfort, which is one of the many reasons I love me some Jesus. Walking with Jesus and talking about the Word with a group of women has been life-changing. Come join us and come as you are. (Slippers are welcome.) ​