Reflection

Question: If you and I took a long look in a mirror at our reflection and we could see inside and outside, and everything was exposed, what would we see, and would we be pleased, or would we be embarrassed and ashamed and humbled and broken?  I think that would depend on where we were in our Christian life at the time, plus other factors.  I think if most people were honest each one of us would be undone in some of the areas in our lives because none of us are, or ever will be, perfect in this life.  Some may think they are better than others but that would be those who more than likely would compare themselves with others because we can always find people that are either better or worse than we are.  Think of this, if we all compared ourselves to the Lord, to whom we should be trying to imitate, then we would all fall short. 

Take for instance Job, who was a very righteous man.  Check out what God said about him in Job 2:3, “Then the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.’”

This sounds mighty impressive, and it is, I’m sure any one of us would love to hear this from God about us.  He not only said this one time, but He said it twice about Job; once in the first chapter verse eight and then again in the second chapter verse three, which you have already read.  In Job’s day what other person could be compared to Job, not many but what about the Lord God Himself?  Let’s let Job answer that question for us, please read Job 42:1-6, “Then Job answered the Lord and said: ‘I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ ‘I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Even with the impressive words spoken about Job in the beginning of this book, when compared to the Lord He ended up despising himself and he repented in dust and ashes.  Like I said before, it is easy to find people that seem to live short of our standards and it is easy to judge others by our standards, but we need to be careful how we judge others.

Let me give you another example, King David, when He was a king.  He was definitely not perfect.  If we know anything about King David, we know that he had what we might call a checkered past.  Anyone who knows about King David knows about his affair with Bathsheba and how he had her husband killed to cover up his affair and all the things that accompany that type of sinful behavior; then at another time how he had the fighting men counted even when he knew and was told that he shouldn’t.  During this time of horrible sin David was a true believer and somebody that many could hold up as below their standard, and some would say that David couldn’t possibly please God.  Like I said before we need to be very careful how we judge.  

There is something that God said about David that seems to contradict what we’ve heard and read about him.  God said that David was a man after His own heart.  I am pretty sure that there are many that have read this and wondered how God could say this about a person who had committed the acts that David did.  One of the things I see reading David’s story is the assurance that David had a real heart for God.  If you read everything about David that the Word of God says about him in the book of the kings and you also read all the Psalms that David wrote, then you start seeing the heart of God.  David also knew how to repent when he was confronted with his sin and he definitely knew how to please God, but he messed up at times also, but he did call sin a sin.

It is so easy to jump to judgement when we see a brother or sister commit a sin, but be careful how you deal with it, and what your motive is, please read Matthew 18:15-17, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”  Going through these steps will be the best way to deal with this problem instead of being all judgmental and sharing these things with everyone else.  

Now please read Galatians 6:1-5, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.”  This is easy to type out but not near as easy to live out.  It almost seems like we love to point out other’s faults and ignore our own.  I am not talking about you anymore than I am talking about me.  I know if I point one finger at you, I will have three or four fingers pointing back at me.

Now please read Matthew 7:1-5, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Like I said it is easy to type these things out but not so easy to remember them and to live them out.  This is a good reminder for me and anyone else who needed to read this and be reminded also.  I hope this has been a blessing and an encouragement and a good lesson to all who read it.  May the good Lord bless all of you with His perfect peace, love and joy and health and happiness and may you all have a super day. PS don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord for He is worthy!!