Articles
Taking A Selfie
People like selfies. Today with our smartphones and other smart devises, a selfie is easy. A few years ago, Jody, all the kids and I were at a Rangers baseball game. We had been invited to sit in the suite with Aaron Watson and his family. We were not the only ones invited. Besides Aaron, there was another celebrity there that day. She was constantly taking selfies and posting them. I had heard about selfies. My grandkids knew all about them, and Evan had asked for a selfie stick. And, when Jordan and I were recording our one-minute messages a few years ago, I bought one so I could record myself.
I got to thinking the other day, however: do we really need a selfie taken with our smart device? The truth is, before the smart device selfie, I got a selfie every morning when I looked in the mirror. Selfies have been around a long time. Further, selfies have been around a lot longer than the mirror. God’s word has been metaphorically called a mirror. When we look into God’s word, we take an objective selfie. One that does not lie. We can deceive ourselves by looking in the mirror and we can deceive ourselves by looking into God’s word, but the reflection of ourselves in God’s word is not a mirage. It is not like asking, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the prettiest of us all?”
Now, while there may be any number of reasons to take a selfie, what do we see when we look in the mirror? We do not usually look in a mirror to admire ourselves. It is usually to fix the things that are out of sorts. Women put on their makeup or fix their hair. Men shave or comb their hair. The purpose is to fix what needs fixing. To look in the mirror and walk away, having paid no attention to what is in disarray, is futile.
There are times we look in the mirror and take full evaluation of ourselves. We see the face of one who is flawed. We know our areas of weakness and our sins. We know who the person in the mirror really is. People may compliment us, or praise us, but when we look in the mirror, we know the person staring back, deep down, better than anyone else. We know what is seen on the outside is not what is true on the inside. It is humbling to see ourselves. Sometimes it is humiliating.
When we look into the mirror of God’s word and walk away without addressing our needs, that is empty. It is not enough to see our needs; we must respond to the word and act on what the mirror reveals. If the reflection we receive is one of prejudice or partiality, we need to practice the royal law, “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” The same word that condemns adultery condemns partiality. Also, if the reflection we see is one of hatred, then we need to apply, “Love speaks well of, does not harm, and prays for our enemies.” If we look into the mirror of God’s word and are pricked because of our lust, then we need to, “Pluck out the eye.” To see ourselves in the refection of God’s word and do nothing about what we see, is absurd. Why would we look into the face of grace and turn away?
We have been taking selfies a long time. Longer than the present fad. We have all looked into the mirror and seen our deepest needs. We have looked into the mirror of God’s word and seen the reflection of our deepest need of grace and mercy. So, instead of those selfies today, look into the mirror that will tell you the real needs, the word of God.
Rickie Jenkins
