Daily Devotions
Don't Get Mad at the Mirror
Reading for February 20: Numbers 33-36
Weekly reading for February 18-24: Romans 6-10
Title: Don't Get Mad at the Mirror
What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
Romans 7:7
Looking in the mirror is not something we always enjoy, especially if we've put on weight. But after seeing extra weight on ourselves, do we then get angry at the mirror? Do we blame the mirror and choose to never look at it again? Do we avoid mirrors for the rest of our lives?
As absurd as that might seem, that is precisely what we do with the Word. The Word of God is a mirror (James 1:23), and as such it reveals our imperfections. This can make for an unpleasant experience, and so sometimes we turn away from it and choose not to read or study it anymore. In a strange way we are blaming the Word for how it makes us feel about ourselves, and so we refuse to look at our reflection in it.
I want to challenge all of you (as I challenge myself first) to not turn away from the Word and especially when it shows us our imperfections. Let's be thankful for the insight it gives us and use that as motivation to do better. In other words, let's resolve to not get angry at the Mirror. Let's get angry at ourselves and make correction.
Father, we know we fall far short of Your glory when we read Your Word. Give us the courage to accept responsibility for what we see, and grace to make the necessary changes by your Spirit.
