An unflattering reflection

The look on their faces testifies against them (Isaiah 3:9).

I don’t like what I see in the mirror. I see gray hair and a growing bald spot. I see a face that is only average looking. I see a belly that is much too large.

Not many people are satisfied with what they see when they look into a mirror. Some wince and turn away embarrassed. But even people who look great use the mirror to primp their hair or straighten a tie, check for pimples or apply makeup.

We may not like mirrors but we know that we need them—without a mirror you cannot see yourself. You can’t see the spot you missed while shaving or the dirty smear where you wiped away some sweat. If we want to look our best, a mirror is absolutely essential.

Do you know what your soul looks like? Pretty hard to say, considering that it’s invisible. Of course God has a clear view; He can see everything. That’s why you need to hear the message of the Bible. God’s word acts like a mirror—it allows you to see yourself clearly, see yourself as God sees you.

Not that looking into this mirror is any fun. God’s word reveals the truth, and the truth isn’t pleasant to look at. Scripture shows us that we are smeared with sin—our souls look quite unappealing. God’s word shows us that we are not nearly as kind and pleasant and generous as we thought we were; what we see reflected back to us is callousness, rudeness, and selfishness. Seeing the reality of who we are makes us want to turn away, our heads hung in shame.

But the purpose of a mirror is not to make you feel bad about yourself. A mirror offers the opportunity to get presentable. So it is with the mirror of God’s word. The Lord did not give the Bible just to make us feel ashamed; He wrote these words of truth so that we can understand how desperately we need Jesus in our lives. Only the Son of God can remove the stain of sin from us; only He can make sure we look acceptable when God examines our souls. Looking into the mirror of Scripture is often an unpleasant experience—but the fault doesn’t lie with God’s word, the ugliness it reveals is our own. We must look at ourselves through the Bible regularly, so that we don’t forget how much we really need the Savior.