June 4: The Mirror of Truth
 |
| Camile Beckford-Johnson Savannah SDA Church |
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Growing up in a faith-based home, I knew about God. I knew the Bible stories, hymns, prayers, and culture, but didn’t know who I was in Christ. I was always confident in myself, but that wasn’t rooted in understanding my true identity in God. My identity felt shaped more by the world’s expectations than by God’s truth. I believed in Him, but didn’t fully believe what He said about me. I was always a church girl, but wasn’t aware that I truly was.
It’s easy to live like that, hearing the Word but not letting it take root. Too often, we listen to a sermon that stirs our hearts, yet our souls remain unchanged. We hear the Word but don’t practice doing the Word, so we are not transformed. I looked in the mirror of life and saw only flaws, failures, and unworthiness. Like James describes, I would walk away and forget who I truly was. I saw myself through the distorted lens of insecurity and comparison, not through the lens of God’s love and purpose.
It wasn’t until life broke me down, dragged me to a place where I was lost in myself, when the things I relied on for my worth were stripped away and the person I thought I was could not be found, that I realized how lost I really was. The weight of broken dreams, disappointments, and feeling like I had failed pushed me to a place of deep reflection. In that brokenness, God invited me to look into a different mirror: His Word. And this time, He asked me to stay there, to not walk away too quickly.
I remember feeling like I couldn’t breathe, the noise of everyone’s opinions about who I should be ringing louder than God’s truth. Everyone’s interpretation of what God says and what we should do and be. But in the stillness, He reminded me to stop, breathe, and look again. This time, I didn’t see the shattered version of myself the world had painted. I saw a woman loved beyond measure. I saw a purpose bigger than my pain. I saw a child of God.
The more I leaned into Scripture, the more I began to see the reflection of who God said I was: loved, chosen, redeemed, and called. My mistakes or what others thought of me didn't define me. I was defined by His truth. Slowly, He rebuilt my identity in Him, not as the world sees me, but as His child. Knowing who I am in God gave me a new perspective, a deeper assurance that no worldly success or failure could shake.
I also realized that I needed to surround myself with the right sounding board, people who reflected God’s truth back to me rather than the world’s opinions. Too often, even the church can get caught up in shaping people to fit into a mold of church culture, rather than guiding them to live authentically for God. I had to shift my focus from what people expected of me to what God wanted for me. It was only then that I began to experience absolute freedom and clarity.
If you’ve ever felt unsure of who you are, remember this: the world’s mirror will only show you a distorted, incomplete version of yourself. But God’s mirror, His Word, reflects your true identity. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are forgiven and set free. You are His beloved. You belong to Him.
Reflection:
What lies have you believed about yourself that don’t align with God’s Word?
Who are the people in your life reflecting God’s truth back to you?
How can you intentionally stop, breathe, and reflect on Scripture, letting it drown out the noise around you?
What areas of your life are you holding onto, thinking they are "it" and how can you surrender them to discover what God truly wants for you?
Prayer:
Father, help me stop looking at myself through the lens of the world’s opinions or insecurities. Lead me to Your mirror of truth, Your Word, You light, help me to see myself as You see me: loved, chosen, and enough. When I forget who I am, remind me that my identity is found in You alone. Give me the wisdom to surround myself with people who speak Your truth into my life. Help me to breathe, release the noise, and focus on Your plan rather than the expectations of others. Teach me to let go of what I think is meant for me and trust that Your way is better. Help me stop rationalizing who You are and surrender so You can reveal Yourself to me fully. Thank You for loving me, even when I struggle to love myself. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
You lift my spirit.
ReplyDelete