The Person You See in God’s Mirror
Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and seen a glimpse of the person you could be? Let’s say Romans 12, where it gives an outline of how we should behave as Christians.
“Love one another with brotherly affection,” it says. “Bless those who persecute you and be patient in tribulation.” (Romans 12:9-14)
As you read, you see an image of yourself being kind and affectionate to your family. Not being offended by but praying for, those who persecute you and patiently bearing any hardships that come your way.
But then you step away from the Word, and you find yourself being more mean than affectionate to those around you. You are more inclined to curse those who mistreat you than pray for them and when hardships come, you do not bear them patiently at all.
You see, God’s Word is a mirror; it shows us who we are in the present, who we were in the past and who we shall be in the future. That is why when you read it you are able to catch a glimpse of your future self. The person you could be. (That patient, forgiving and kind person you read about in Romans 12)
But in order to actually become the person you see in God’s mirror it is not enough to just look at the Word, you must also act on it.
Be a Doer of the Word
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 observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
James 1:22-24 (NKJV)
As this verse reveals, it is possible to deceive yourself into thinking you are a Christian.
You can attend church services, listen to Christian music, and watch Christian TV shows. But you don’t act or live like a Christian. In the same way, you can look into God’s Word, hear it, but not act on it.
If you continue in this way, you will forever be confused at the difference between the person you see revealed in God’s Word, and who you are when you step away from it.
But if you want to bridge the divide, you have to act on God’s Word. Do what the person in God’s mirror would do, behave the way they would behave.
Be slow to anger and quick to listen, as it says in the Word. (James 1:19) Forgive those who wrong you and bless those who persecute you. (Matthew 5:44; Luke 17:3-4) Be a cheerful giver and bear patiently with those around you. (2 Corinthians 9:7; Ephesians 4:2)
But even as you set out to do this, what you must understand is that you cannot accomplish this by your own will or simply out of your desire to “be a better person.” You will need the help of the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit Who Enables You
If you want to live as a Christian, you cannot walk in the flesh. You must operate and walk in the Spirit. The Word tells us that the righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled by those “who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:4) This means that you can only become the person you see in the Word as you are led by the Spirit.
But you can only walk by the Spirit and be led by the Spirit if you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. If you don’t, the first thing you need to do is acknowledge your need for a Saviour, confess and repent of your sins and then receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. (Romans 10:9-10)
Once you do this, God will make His home in your heart and the Holy Spirit will come and dwell within you. (John 14:16-17) He will then become your Comforter, guide and Helper. It is He who will enable you to live the Christian life and help you to become the person you see in God’s mirror. All you have to do is ask for His Help and obey when He speaks.
But that is not where it ends.
Continue Looking into God’s Mirror
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV)
Just as you can return to the glass mirror to see whether you need to reapply your makeup, adjust your shirt or fix your hair, you also need to go back and look into God’s mirror to see if you need to make adjustments in your spiritual life.
God’s mirror will reveal character flaws, bad habits and other areas in your life that you need to attend to. So, even as you start acting and doing what it says in the Bible, you need to continually go back and read it.
Turn to it daily for instruction, adjust what needs to be adjusted and do what it says by the help of the Holy Spirit.
As you do, little by little, day by day, you will be transformed into the person you see when you look into God’s glorious mirror.
