Pop Quiz: What is really long, super old, and almost every
house in America
has one but never uses it? You guessed
it…The Bible. It seems like people are
losing the use for their Bible a little more each day. Maybe that’s why we have more confusion about
who God is in today’s church than ever before?
Here’s a little hypothetical situation. A guy walks into a clothing store one evening. He’s donning his brand new, top-of-the-line,
designer shoes, that look a-w-e-s-o-m-e.
His head is held high and he is on cloud 9, noticing everyone staring at
him as he walks in. In his mind, his
kicks are the ‘talk of the town.’ As he
makes his way over to a rack of brightly colored shirts, he steps passed a full
length mirror. Stopping to admire his
new footwear, he pauses and stands facing the mirror. A look of horror sweeps over his face as he
realizes he spilled his morning coffee down his white shirt. No wonder everyone was staring!
In James, the Bible likens the Word of God to a mirror because
it does a similar thing for you. When
you look into a mirror, you see your own image staring back at you. In that moment, you cannot hide from your
flaws or your assets, they are glaringly obvious. You may even see things that weren’t there
the last time you looked, like the spilled coffee on your shirt. The point is, you see it all. In the reflection, it’s all real and
pretending it’s not there isn’t going to make it less obvious to you or others around
you.
Just like a real mirror, the Word of God is a tool for you
to look into also, and just like a real mirror, the reflection will change
based on the way you look at it. The
Word of God presents the truth, unadulterated and in brutal honesty. It provides something for us to look into to
see the state of our lives. You’re doing
well here, you need work there. That’s
why the Bible says when we read the Word and don’t follow what it says with
action, it’s like we’ve looked at our coffee stained shirt in the mirror and
walked away, forgetting what we saw.
You’ll continue to walk around with that shirt, stained and
dysfunctional until you change it.
The Bible is a living, moving thing. It is the inspired Word of God. In it, there is ultimate truth about who we
are. The Bible says that we are healed,
that we are provided for, and that we walk in the fullness of Christ. So when we come to examine our reflection in
the Bible with something like a sickness, it becomes obvious that we need
adjustment in that area. So we work on
it. God’s truth says that we are healed
and that Jesus has been beaten brutally so that we could accept and walk in
that truth. You see, when we allow
Christ to makeover our image, our reflection in the mirror should be similar to
His. Now, that’s not to say we don’t ever
sin or miss the mark, because we will definitely do, but when we do, that is
the perfect time to step in front of the mirror, see where we are and allow the
Lord to work on us.
Too many Christians don’t read their Bible. In fact, it is the minority who actually
do. I know I have been undisciplined at
times to read on a consistent basis, but I also know that when I make that time
for the mirror of God’s Word, my life is better off. I seem to be more confident in the things of
the Lord, because I know where I stand before Him. My dad, Rocky Veach said this on Wednesday, “Your
relationship with God is only as good as your relationship with your Bible.” I love that, because it’s so true. God does speak into your life using the
still, small, voice, or other believers, or in rare cases He even speaks
audibly, but the majority of the time, He speaks through His Word. He reveals things to us as we spend time
peering into the reflection. He meets
our action with His action. When we take
time to read the Bible and ask God to show us our reflection, He will be
faithful and just to meet us there and help us where we fall short.
The Bible is relevant today, because it has always been
relevant. How’s that for irony? It will never lose its power to show you the
truth about who you are in Christ Jesus.
Your life, subject to the Bible will always be pertinent. I challenge you today, if you haven’t
already, to put yourself on some sort of reading schedule, not to be religious,
but to give God something to work with.
Even if you don’t read a ton, commit something to God and see what He
does with it. I promise, you’ll be blown
away by what God can do for you through the looking glass.
