The Mirror to My Heart

We recently acquired an old dresser mirror from S’s family. The house it came from takes excellent care of everything in their home, so we didn’t give it a thought to clean the mirror. We brought it home, put it on display and went on with our lives.

Some days I would look at the mirror and think, “Wow, it sure is a shame that the mirror isn’t in better condition.” Just yesterday I was cleaning the house and I decided to clean the mirror. It wiped completely clean!! It was gorgeous! I just sat on the floor dumbfounded.

Isn’t it the same with sin? Sometimes we give into temptation, thinking it’s just how we are and not believing that the battle has already been won by what Christ accomplished on the cross. We are no longer slaves to sin. Temptation surrounds us daily but there is promised victory in Christ!

We believe that His death accomplished salvation for us, but we forget that it also achieved victory over sin. Sometimes I think we’re okay with being dirty mirrors. We’re used to things being a little cloudy and we’re not sure what it would be like to be shiny and clean. But hasn’t He called us clean? Hasn’t He washed us? For what? To bring Him glory and honor.

The other day I was looking forward to a planned family outing. I made a nice meal and then A and I went outside to wait for S to arrive. Minutes turned into a half hour and then an hour. And as the seconds ticked by, my frustrations grew greater and greater until I had to excuse myself, go into the kitchen and release all my frustration to the Lord. God is so good and was gracious to calm my spirit; I am confident that I had all I needed in that moment to live a godly life and to make wise decisions. But, I also kind of liked the other side. As much as I wanted to be forgiving and gracious to S, I also wanted him to know my disappointment.

John 3:19 says that men love darkness more than light. Unfortunately this is part of our reality with sin. We like darkness and still want a little piece of that action. It somehow feels right to participate in it. Well, for a moment. But, it’s not right and God calls us to a higher path.

Paul David Tripp says, “We are not free to handle difficulties in whatever way seems best to us. When we are wronged, the thing of highest importance is not that we feel satisfied or avenged, but that we respond according to God’s plan and for His glory.” (War of Words, 164). What a challenge. I need to be dealing with situations as a servant of the Most High.

S did not need to be reprimanded when he walked in the door. Grace would have been a little bit nicer and would have provided a much more comforting cover of his head from the troubles of the world. Not to mention, God was using Him in unique ways while I sat at home grumbling instead of considering what God was doing in my heart. And, He desired to carry it out to completion. I stopped just a little too soon. My vision was clouded by my frustration.

Not only do we need to respond redemptively to the big situations in life, but also the little day-to-day ones, too. 2 Peter 1:3-4 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

I want to offer my heart, my mouth, my thoughts, everything as instruments for righteousness. I really believe the mirror can be clean. I cling to that hope. And, I want to stop being okay with the dirt, the grime and the sin. Its hold on me has been broken in Christ! I want to live in that reality.

Thanks for being gracious, S. And, thanks for calling me to a higher standard when I delight in sin, especially when I try to excuse it.