In our life, there are mirrors and mirrors and they can effectively influence our life.
There is the mirror in which we can look at ourselves to examine the detail of our appearance. We wash, shave, epilate and comb ourselves with the help of a mirror. You can also try a dress or a suit or a pair of shoes with a mirror. This mirror reflects our image and allows us to appreciate how the others could see us.
For English speakers, there is also the Daily Mirror newspaper where readers can be informed about events around the world.
But I would like to draw your attention to a third type of mirror, the one we can discover in the epistle of James:
“22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1: 22-25)
The teachings offered in the Bible play a role essentially similar to that of a mirror, but in this case it reflects our spiritual image, as also seen by our Father.
If we also make use of this mirror intelligently, the image he will send back to us will bring us happiness in the same way as when we leave our bathroom each morning having seen that we are clean and presentable.
The Bible, if we read it and if we put its teachings into practice, will improve our spiritual look and it will provide us happiness.
Learn how to recognize yourself
To recognize oneself is not an easy task. Look, for instance how most of the Laodicean Church is unable to recognize itself in Revelation 3: 17-18:
" 17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see."
To be able to see oneself well in the Bible, there is a serious effort to make because we all have the unfortunate tendency to recognize others and not ourselves. This was the case of David, after he stole Bath Sheva and had her husband Urie killed. We will read this sad story in II Samuel 12: 1-9:
"1 Then Yehoah sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yehoah lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Yehoah Elohim of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of Yehoah, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon."
We must use our eyes and our understanding and the Holy Spirit that our Father puts in us to recognize us in the Bible.
Job's friends had the same defect as David because they also used the Word to see the others and not themselves. Job, however, had so much desire to understand why all these misfortunes were striking him and he would have liked to see himself in the mirror of the Bible:
" 24 “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; Cause me to understand wherein I have erred. 25 How forceful are right words! But what does your arguing prove?
26 Do you intend to rebuke my words, and the speeches of a desperate one, which are as wind? 27 Yes, you overwhelm the fatherless, and you undermine your friend. 28 Now therefore, be pleased to look at me; For I would never lie to your face.
29 Yield now, let there be no injustice! Yes, concede, my righteousness still stands!
30 Is there injustice on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern the unsavory?
(Job 6: 24-30)
But here is the answer made by Zophar, one of his "friends" who does not see the beam in his own eye (Job 11):
"1 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said: 2 “Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be vindicated? 3 Should your empty talk make men hold their peace? And when you mock, should no one rebuke you? 4 For you have said,‘My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in your eyes.’
5 But oh, that Elohim would speak, and open His lips against you, 6 that He would show you the secrets of wisdom! For they would double your prudence. Know therefore that Elohim exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves.
7 “Can you search out the deep things of Elohim? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty? 8 They are higher than heaven—what can you do? Deeper than Sheol—what can you know? 9 Their measure is longer than the earth and broader than the sea.10 “If He passes by, imprisons, and gathers to judgment, then who can hinder Him? 11 For He knows deceitful men; He sees wickedness also. Will He not then consider it?12 For an empty-headed man will be wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man. 13 “If you would prepare your heart, and stretch out your hands toward Him; 14 If iniquity were in your hand, and you put it far away, and would not let wickedness dwell in your tents; 15 Then surely you could lift up your face without spot; Yes, you could be steadfast, and not fear; 16 Because you would forget your misery, and remember it as waters that have passed away, 17 and your life would be brighter than noonday. Though you were dark, you would be like the morning.
18 And you would be secure, because there is hope; Yes, you would dig around you, and take your rest in safety. 19 You would also lie down, and no one would make you afraid; Yes, many would court your favor. 20 But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope—loss of life!”
This is the kind of speech that is not helping at all Job, on the contrary! Moreover Zophar is behaving like so many people in the world; they are not only blind but also they are criticizing and judging others who are much better than them. In other words Zophar sees mirages instead of reality.
Do not highlight the flaws of others!
Don’t we also have this bad tendency to dazzle our surroundings with the brilliance of a sun, if possible, to put even more in light the faults of others and to keep our sins in the shadows as much as possible? Remember that the world of darkness is often synonymous with the world of the Pharisees. Let's read about it Luke 6: 39-42:
“39 And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? 40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. 41 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? 42 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.”
A mirror to transform you!
If we learn to use the mirror of our Father's Word that is freely available to us, we will be able to transform ourselves radically and we will become step by step like our Savior (Hebrews 1: 3):
"His son … who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high... "
Yeshuah Christ is in a similar way the reflection of the image of his Father since His Father is also living in him. Consequently, in Yeshuah, there is no more room for what is vain and does not find its origin in the Bible.
The purpose of our journey on this earth must remain the same as the one our Father had in view since the beginning:
“26 Then Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So Elohim created man in His own image; in the image of Elohim He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1: 26-27)