In which mirror do you look?

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:22-24) We all stand before the mirror every morning to adjust our appearance and grooming according to how we want to see ourselves. But in ancient times, mirrors were made of dark glass without a reflective coating, and people would stand before this dark glass to adjust their appearance before meeting others. The scripture uses this as an example for our spiritual lives, saying that when you read God’s word in the Bible, it’s like looking into this dark glass mirror. Either you see yourself in the presence of the holy God, seeing what God wants you to see—how you are and how you can become more like Christ—or you see only yourself, as that’s where your focus lies. What do you see? If you see only yourself, you gain nothing because you become the measure of yourself. You will not progress, change, or move forward, adjusting yourself based on yourself. But if you look beyond seeing yourself only, you will see Christ standing behind this mirror, adjusting your appearance, stature, and shape to be more like Christ. “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4:19) Do you see only yourself and make yourself the center of your life and attention? Do you read the word in this way, deceiving yourself, or do you read the word with understanding, praying that God uses it to change and reshape you to become more like the Lord Jesus Christ? “Until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13) Remember, every time you stand before a mirror, that when you read God’s word (the Bible), you are looking into two mirrors. In which one do you look? “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.” (James 1:22-24)