While in Pilates the other day, my instructor was encouraging us to use the mirror. She said, "The mirror is not there to beat you up but rather to help you in seeing your form and seeing if you are doing the exercises right leading you to the desired outcome" (or something close to that).Mirror? Mirror? Did she just speak about a mirror being used to reveal the real you and using it as a tool that HELPS? Well well, well,- I just happen to know a verse that speaks about the same idea in spriitual terms.
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO WHAT IT SAYS. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a MIRROR and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks INTENTLY into the perfect law that gives FREEDOM and CONTINUES TO DO THIS-NOT FORGETTING WHAT HE HAS HEARD, BUT DOING IT-HE WILL BE BLESSED IN WHAT HE DOES."- James 1:22-25
The Bible is a mirror! It reveals the real us- our hearts, our attitudes, our thoughts. It's given us to HELP us, to bring freedom; NOT to beat us up.
MIRROR- 1. Anything that faithfully reflects or gives a TRUE picture of something else.
2. Something worthy of imitation; a model
I remember the first time the Bible really became a mirror to me. I was reading Phillipians 2:20;
"I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."
I was immediately pricked in my spirit. I read it a few times through and I asked God, "God- is this me? Am I only looking out for my own interests? Am I genuine in my concern for people's welfare? Help me God! I deeply desire to be genuine and to lay aside my own interests for the sake of yours, but I think I need your help."
Then came those "wife" verses;
"A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." Prov. 19:13
and
" A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." Prov. 12:4
When I read those verses for the first time as a new, young wife it did two things deep in my soul. First, it held out a reflection of the true me at that time. I was being a bit quarrelsome and thus being annoying- like a constant dripping. YUCK! I didn't want to be like that. However, it wasn't until I looked in the "Mirror" and saw my flaws that I realized what I really looked like. The second thing it did was it gave me a model, something worthy of imitation, something good that God desired for me and that deep in my soul I knew I wanted. What wife wants to be like "decay in her husband's bones?" What wife does not want to be her "Husband's crown"?
After "looking in the mirror" and deciding to NOT go away and "forget what I look like", but rather "doing what it says" (stop quarreling and become a woman of noble character) I can tell you that what I experienced was FREEDOM.
FREEDOM- 1.The condition of being free of restraints
2. Liberty of the person from slavery and oppression
3. Exemption from unpleasant or onerous (troublesome/burdensome)conditions.(it is burdensome to be decay in your husband's bones...but one reaps what she sows)
Reading God's word and knowing that there is ONLY ONE who is perfect, that He gave up his life to present me as "faultless & blameless" if I will simply repent(change my direction) and admit that I am not perfect and need someone to come rescue me/save me from all my "yucky" ways and selfish heart, and knowing that He deeply loves me and desires me to be "blessed in what I do", gave me such liberty. Oh yes- I can say with deep conviction that I have experienced the Bible to be a WONDERFUL MIRROR that if I choose to believe and obey brings such sweet freedom.
May I encourage you to look in the "mirror" and be honest with what is revealed. May I encourage you to not walk away from that mirror and forget what it says but rather, "Do what it says and ...be blessed!" May I encourage you to change your thinking if you must and see the Bible, NOT as something to beat you up, but rather as something to be helpful in bringing you freedom and blessing. God is for you! He loves you soooo deeply. His desire for you is to know GREAT joy and peace.However, it will not come if you avoid/ignore the "mirror" or simply just don't do what it says.
"Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7
Know this- you are deeply loved no matter what you choose. Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link
"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. DO WHAT IT SAYS. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a MIRROR and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks INTENTLY into the perfect law that gives FREEDOM and CONTINUES TO DO THIS-NOT FORGETTING WHAT HE HAS HEARD, BUT DOING IT-HE WILL BE BLESSED IN WHAT HE DOES."- James 1:22-25
The Bible is a mirror! It reveals the real us- our hearts, our attitudes, our thoughts. It's given us to HELP us, to bring freedom; NOT to beat us up.
MIRROR- 1. Anything that faithfully reflects or gives a TRUE picture of something else.
2. Something worthy of imitation; a model
I remember the first time the Bible really became a mirror to me. I was reading Phillipians 2:20;
"I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."
I was immediately pricked in my spirit. I read it a few times through and I asked God, "God- is this me? Am I only looking out for my own interests? Am I genuine in my concern for people's welfare? Help me God! I deeply desire to be genuine and to lay aside my own interests for the sake of yours, but I think I need your help."
Then came those "wife" verses;
"A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping." Prov. 19:13
and
" A wife of noble character is her husband's crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones." Prov. 12:4
When I read those verses for the first time as a new, young wife it did two things deep in my soul. First, it held out a reflection of the true me at that time. I was being a bit quarrelsome and thus being annoying- like a constant dripping. YUCK! I didn't want to be like that. However, it wasn't until I looked in the "Mirror" and saw my flaws that I realized what I really looked like. The second thing it did was it gave me a model, something worthy of imitation, something good that God desired for me and that deep in my soul I knew I wanted. What wife wants to be like "decay in her husband's bones?" What wife does not want to be her "Husband's crown"?
After "looking in the mirror" and deciding to NOT go away and "forget what I look like", but rather "doing what it says" (stop quarreling and become a woman of noble character) I can tell you that what I experienced was FREEDOM.
FREEDOM- 1.The condition of being free of restraints
2. Liberty of the person from slavery and oppression
3. Exemption from unpleasant or onerous (troublesome/burdensome)conditions.(it is burdensome to be decay in your husband's bones...but one reaps what she sows)
Reading God's word and knowing that there is ONLY ONE who is perfect, that He gave up his life to present me as "faultless & blameless" if I will simply repent(change my direction) and admit that I am not perfect and need someone to come rescue me/save me from all my "yucky" ways and selfish heart, and knowing that He deeply loves me and desires me to be "blessed in what I do", gave me such liberty. Oh yes- I can say with deep conviction that I have experienced the Bible to be a WONDERFUL MIRROR that if I choose to believe and obey brings such sweet freedom.
May I encourage you to look in the "mirror" and be honest with what is revealed. May I encourage you to not walk away from that mirror and forget what it says but rather, "Do what it says and ...be blessed!" May I encourage you to change your thinking if you must and see the Bible, NOT as something to beat you up, but rather as something to be helpful in bringing you freedom and blessing. God is for you! He loves you soooo deeply. His desire for you is to know GREAT joy and peace.However, it will not come if you avoid/ignore the "mirror" or simply just don't do what it says.
"Do not be deceived; God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." Galatians 6:7
Know this- you are deeply loved no matter what you choose. Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another's soul. Kristy Joy Link
