Whenever we look into a mirror; it reflects the reality of who is looking into it!  Once we see ourselves as we are, then we make choices.  We may choose to keep things as they are and rely on ourselves,as the rich fool did in Luke 12: 16-21.  While reading that story, remember to count the number of times the rich fool used personal terms like“I” and“my”; then analyze his self-reliance versus how God saw his situation.

“He spoke a parable to them, saying: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. ¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, “What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?” ¹⁸So he said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.’” ²⁰But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’ ²¹’So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.’”

A second choice we have is to view ourselves and possessions as God sees us.  The focus is on the…

…hereafter, not just the here and now.  You realize what the mirror reflects,and you see that assistance is needed.

Luke 12: 22-31 “Then He said to His disciples, ‘Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. ²³Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. ²⁴Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? ²⁵And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? ²⁶If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? ²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith? ²⁹And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. ³⁰For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things. ³¹But seek ^£the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.’”

The key to possessions and our view of them is summarized in verse 31, “³¹But seek ^£the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you”.  The important thing is not the amount you have, but rather your viewpoint about what you have!

COSMETIC CASE WITH MIRROR

Many people have cosmetic cases with a built in mirror.  Obviously, when we look into a mirror; it reflects the realities of the one looking into it!  Once we see ourselves as we really are,blemishes and all,then we actively or passively make choices.People who actively make the choice to alter their appearance with cosmetics may already know what the root word of “cosmetics” is.  “Cosmos” means to bring order out of chaos!  So is it spiritually; the same thing occurs when we look into God’s Word.  Am I satisfied with what I see, or do I want to bring order out of my spiritual chaos by making adjustments that His Word says I need to make!

Jesus declared in John 14:6-7, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me”.  It is by God’s grace that the penalty of sin is paid in full by Christ on the cross.  The promise in 1 Peter 3:18 states, “Christ suffered and died once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (the entire world of people including YOU specifically)!  The adjustment on our part is “to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and we shall be saved” (Acts 16:31, John 1:12).  This fact does not cheapen Christ’s completed work on the cross for us, nor was it easy for Him.  It was made easy enough so all people, including you, can enter His kingdom.  John 3:16 is the most recognized and memorized verse in the Bible, “For God so loved the world (of people) that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  John 3:17-18 is an example of God’s awesome grace and mercy when God declares, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not stands condemned already because they did not believe in the name of God’s one and only Son”.

The mirror lets us see what condition we are in and the cosmetics correct the blemishes.  The Bible lets us see our condition and Jesus Christ provides the total blemish correction!  Now is the time for you to look, choose and believe.  The only other option is to walk away forgetting what you have just seen.

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