One of the most descriptive and fascinating metaphors for the Bible is the picture presented in the writings of Paul and James. Look first at James 1:23-25, “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. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty…” When one “looks into” the Word of God, he is looking into “a mirror,” seeing himself in light of the perfect law of liberty.
Now consider Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3:18, “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.” When one “beholds the glory of the Lord” in the mirror of God’s Word, it has the power to transform the very image of one’s heart and life.
As with any mirror, the hands which hold it have the ability and control to turn it away from pointing directly at the beholder. If one does “not like” what he sees, he has the power to divert the direction of the mirror and not look at himself through God’s revelation. Sometimes, instead of honest evaluation, we turn our mirror away toward others.
Sometimes we take our mirror and point it behind us, toward the past. “Oh, this doesn’t apply to me. It was just for those back in the day.” Some people listen to a lesson about the role of women in the church today, and they point their mirror away from themselves and to the past (despite 1 Timothy 2:13-14).
Sometimes we take our mirror and point it to the side, toward someone else. “Oh, this doesn’t apply to me. But brother/sister so-and-so really needs to pay attention.” Some people will hear a lesson about parenting, discipline, purity, kindness, humility, priorities, partiality, forgiveness, and they point their mirror away from themselves and toward someone they feel is seriously lacking (despite James 1:22-25).
Sometimes we take our mirror and point it in front of us, toward the future. “Oh, this doesn’t apply to me. That’s just for when I get older and it won’t need my attention for many years.” Some people hear about the brevity of life, the sudden nature of the coming of Jesus and the need to be prepared for judgment, and they point their mirror away from themselves and toward the distant future (despite James 4:14 and Matthew 24:42-44).
We each have a mirror in our hands that needs to be pointed directly at our hearts and lives for honest evaluation.