A few years ago, my extended family members walked through the white bungalow house in southern Indiana for the last time—the home that belonged to my grandparents. Having raised nine children during the Great Depression, my grandparents had lived long and fruitful lives. Their walk with the Lord was not lost on any of us.
After the treasured house was torn down so the property could be used for other purposes, my aunt blessed me with one of the items she had taken from her parents’ home: a tall, black-framed mirror. Splotchy and hazy with age, I was elated to hang this mirror in my own home. Fond memories floated through my mind as I recalled my childhood visits looking at this mirror, which my grandparents mounted regally by the front door. This mirror was the only one in the house for all eleven inhabitants to use at any given time, sometimes necessitating lining up for turns.
Most of us look in a mirror multiple times daily. We must wipe that smeared jam off our cheeks and check our smiles after brushing our teeth. Not to mention, we are known for vanity anyway.
But do we see ourselves first and foremost as children of God when we look in our mirrors? Just as a mirror reflects how we look on the outside, our spiritual mirror, God’s Word, reflects how we appear on the inside. The Bible serves as a mirror into our souls.
Our physical mirrors may send us dashing back to the closet to change our clothes at the last minute. God’s Word can also reflect things we’re not wearing well. Something spiritual might be out of place that prayerfully needs changing. Are we wearing just the right amount of forgiveness? Or what about our clothes of love and gratitude?
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the most spiritually mature of them all? Ask God to help you listen and be a doer of God’s Word, never forgetting how you should look to imitate Christ.
Becky Van Vleet is a retired teacher and principal and award-winning multi-genre author. She and her husband make their home close to Colorado Springs, where she enjoys gardening, hiking, oil painting, power walking, and spending time with her family, especially reading books to her grandchildren. A member of ACFW, Becky has devoted her website to creating and preserving family memories and sharing family stories for the next generations through her monthly blogs. You can find her at: https://beckyvanvleet.com.