The "Man" In The Mirror

If you are not in the mood for deep -------skip over this.
This past week we were all put on the edges of our seat by our pastor when he told us that God had given him a vision. He planned on sharing this vision on Sunday. This vision would require all to wear steel toe shoes. Keith turned to me at that time and said,"guess we need to go shopping". Leave it to my husband to bring a little levity to a serious discussion. He sure evens me out.
Basically the sermon centered around the fact that we are all someone different at home than we are in public. He pointed out several different types of people and said God had given him faces to go with the types of people. Talk about having your dirty laundry hung out there. And thank God he didn't mention names---he didn't have to we knew who we were. Yes, it all boils down to what my Mom has said, "You are who you are at home".
God had already started dealing with me about this during a time of fasting. One day I was talking to my son and God asked me if I would dare talk to one of my girls at church that way. Of course not.
What will it take for me to wear only one face? Something or rather someone has to die. We know sometimes death can be quick-----and sometimes slow. It looks like this is going to be a slow painful one. Each time that feeling of wanting to put a loved one in their place - rises to the surface I have a choice to make. Do I pass all the time? Just talk to my family and they will tell you, NO. Am I getting better? I hope and pray the answer is, "yes".
If dying to self was advertised as the new disease, what would we see? Maybe we would self help groups popping up all over the place. We might see Christian artist getting together to have
concerts to raise money for the awareness of those "dying daily". It is such a huge part of our Christian walk but we don't hear that much about it. Most of us would rather say "Well, you know that is just how I am". Or maybe "Be patient with me God is not finished yet".
Bro Tim, brought a tall thin mirror to the service. He made the point that there was only room for one in this mirror. If you looked into this mirror, who would you see? According to Paul, 'Not I but Christ who lives in me". I couldn't help but look into the mirror during the service- I couldn't see myself , instead I saw the guy sitting on the other side of the church from me. Likewise He couldn't see himself from that vantage point---he would also be seeing me. I wondered what he saw when he looked in the mirror. And I realized that each day people are looking into my mirror. Most of all my family. What do they see when they look in the mirror. Do they see me or do they see HIM. If I don't die daily when they look in my mirror they will see one who can offer them conditional love and no help. How sad! When according to the book of Ephesians the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me. When I disconnect from God---I disconnect from that power.
I would love to pray for a quick death. But, it is not going to happen. So today I pray for the ability to die one cell at a time. One second at a time. And I pray that when you look in the mirror the only face you see ------is the face of the Son of God.

Member of the "Dying Daily Club'