Take a long look in the mirror

James 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act-they will be blessed in their doing.

Lord,

we stare into mirrors

making note of every grey hair,

every wrinkle, every pimple, every flaw

obsessed with our looks.

What if we took that same gaze

to examine your Word, Jesus Christ.

True, we would see 

our every sin, every failure, every flaw,

But we would also see 

Your every act of love, every drop of salvation blood, every grace filled moment.

We would see a child of God worth loving, worth dying for, 

worth rising for, worth blessing.

That's the mirror we find in your Word, Jesus Christ.

The mirror of truth, 

both convicting us of our sin and convincing us of Your love.

Today I will take a long deep look 

in the mirror of Jesus Christ.

Lord,

Help me walk away remembering who I am:

always a forgiven sinner, 

always a redeemed servant,

always a freed slave,

always a beloved Child of God,

always a creature made to praise You,

always one to bring Glory to God alone!

Alleluia! Amen!