Mirrors

People who are in close proximity to us serve as mirrors.  In reality, whenever I am in close proximity with someone I am forced to see things in them that constantly irritate me.  Those things that drive me crazy about a person are in actuality most likely in me.   When I probe these things, I begin to realize that it is not them so much that I am frustrated with, but me as I have those same hypocrisies.  You see it is easy for me to be blind to my sin and shortcomings without mirrors and even get use to it.  However, when I see my sin being fleshed out in someone else, it stinks, and I see the vulgarity of it.    

Lately, I am choosing to say thank you to uncomfortable situations because I know God is using it to weed out my own sin and show me the ugliness of unkind words, reacting in anger, and holding a grudge.  I am choosing to say thank you to the mirrors God places in my life and beg God to change me. 

You see we all need clean mirrors.  We need people to tell us the truth about ourselves.  We need conflict even though it is uneasy because through conflict we grow.   Broken mirrors do not depict a true image of us.  As wonderful as it is to be told how wonderful I am, if these words are mere flattery, they are like a clanging symbol. 

Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.  Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”  When I think of this verse, I thank God for my husband and those who tell me the truth even when I do not want to hear it.  They do not seek to flatter me by puffing me up, but honestly want my best which means telling me the truth even when it is hard.  What wisdom there is in these verses! 

I love the story of David and Nathan in II Samuel 12.  David had blatantly sinned and initially chose not to repent or listen to the Holy Spirit, so God in his great mercy sent Nathan, a true friend to be a mirror to David.  Nathan had a track record with David of devotion and friendship which helped make David receptive to the message.  With wisdom and bravery, Nathan used a story of a man stealing sheep to get through to David about his sin with Bathsheba.   After hearing the story, David condemned the thief.  Nathan then says, David, you are the thief.  Nathan had to use a story to shock David into seeing the crudeness of his own sin.  Nathan pronounces God’s judgment on David, and through this, David truly repents.  David says that he has sinned against God.  He does not sugarcoat his sin or blame another or make excuses.  He is broken hearted over his sin.  I love how David is known as a man after God’s own heart despite being such a sinner as we all are. 

Thank you, God, for mirrors!  Help me not turn away from them, but truly look into them.