Self

"What she sees" by a 3rd grade girl today

The Mirror 

When you look in the mirror what do you see? Do you like what you see? Some days do you feel more attractive and beautiful than others?  Maybe its when you have lost a few pounds and have been working out more regularly.  Or maybe everyday you look in the mirror and you see yourself getting older and fatter.  Or maybe what they see, you don't see and have never seen.  And maybe, just maybe you are all like me and when you look in the mirror you see the reality of what the physical realm presents but not the reality of the spiritual realm.  I am talking about something deeper than what our eyes can behold.  Deeper than the number on the scale, or the size of your waist, or the wrinkles around your eyes, or the gray in your hair.  I am talking about the depth of our spirit that He sees every moment of every day.  And even now as I write this I am fighting against my flesh that say's "You are just not enough," every time I look in the mirror or see a reflection of myself or a picture, I only see what I believe and not the truth.  

And so what is the truth?

Romans 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of god are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs-heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 

The Battle 

For me and I think for most christians, the battle does not lie in knowing the truth, the battle lies in Matthew 10:38 Whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 

So, there is good news and bad news.  The good news is there is sonship with the Father! Heirs of Christ.  Sons & Daughters of the living God.  The bad news is in order to truly live, breathe, and move in this sonship we must die.  The thoughts of self, the reflection in the mirror, the comforts of materialism that say "I am worthy, I am beautiful, I am something."  Dying to myself, suffering, losing my life, these are all difficult truths for me to swallow.  And so I propose lets pray for this radical reality.  I need it but I am like Israel wanting to be in slavery, wanting to preserve myself.  Yet I want to be the man who found a treasure in a field and sold all he had to buy that field.  

The temporal cost is heavenly gain!