Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored. (Romans 8:5-8 MSG)
How much time have I spent in the mirror?
Perfecting only the outside, because when it comes to the inside - I'm a quitter.
It takes too much work to change my heart
So I'd rather stay the same and just LOOK the part.
I want to be free,
but I don't want others to see
That when I should be thinking of Him,
I'm thinking of ME.
My future. My decisions. My career. My opposition.
All things that He has known and set well before my existence.
How many times have I ignored His voice
to accommodate my will, my choice?
How many times have I taken offense to His sons and daughters
Because I couldn't stand to hear the message from my Heavenly Father?
It is painfully clear that I need to draw near and give Him my all.
I think it's time to take a look in the mirror, mirror on the wall.
In my recent evaluation of myself, one thing in particular stood out to me. In my efforts to make plans for and secure my future, I've become obsessed with ME. It was never intentional! However, I found that when I became fearful, instead of seeking God FIRST, I would try and see what I could do to fix it. When assessing my ability to "fix" it, I focused on MY strengths, MY connections, MY education, etcetera. These are all things that, without God, mean NOTHING. The scripture mentions that when you're focused on you, you are by default IGNORING God...and He doesn't like to be ignored. Pay attention to that tug on your heart for some attention. It is God beckoning you to spend some time with Him. Ask Him to hold up His mirror to your heart - to show you what you need to allow Him to transform. Will you let Him in the doors of your heart?
-Brianna Rodgers
There was once a point in time where the most difficult thing for me to do was look into a mirror. I dealt with low self-esteem and to me, my reflection was my worst enemy. You see, the mirror reflects truth and honesty. Everything that I did not like about myself was reflected right back at me whether I wanted to see it or not. Fortunately, God has delivered me from such a mental bondage and I believe His truth about me and not what the enemy had instilled. However, at times I find myself still running from my reflection.
This time, it’s not the one that’s reflected on that tiny glass frame in my bathroom. No, this depiction is a little harder to swallow. You see, like the mirrors I avoided in my teenage days, at times I find myself running from the mirror of truth…God’s word.
I had to realize that God’s Word is one of the ways He reveals our sins to us. It is not enough for me to hear the Word; I must live it. It reveals us as God sees us, the way a mirror reveals how others see us, and not how we think we appear to them. Yet, I have found myself avoiding this reflection many times because of my own agenda.
When I am set in stone about something, especially my life choices, it is very hard for me to be moved by any outside forces. I have a tendency to be stubborn and want things my way. Well, guess what? Sometimes, the Bible tells me that my way isn’t God’s way and honestly that can bring about an attitude. So, to avoid correction and to please MYSELF, sometimes I don’t always go to God’s word for big decisions. When my leaders suggest I pray about my plans before I act, I tend to ignore it in fear that God will alter my “happy ending”. I failed to realize that HE is my happy ending and He has already prepared my way. The truth? I could have avoided many obstacles if I trusted God’s word for my life.
The matter of the fact is that when scripture doesn’t align with my life, I need to correct it. I don’t need to simply glance at it because I don’t like what I see. But when I see that I have blemishes in my spiritual life, I need to take a hard look at my natural life. Instead of running from my reflection, I will work on accepting correction and God’s will.
Sis, will you continue to run from God’s word because it’s reflecting who YOU really are, or will you allow your life to be a reflection of God’s word? I stopped running. Will you?
--MoNique B.