Mirror Mirror on the Wall
I don’t think that we treat each other the way that God wants, but I hope that we are getting closer to that. Why is it so easy for us to examine other people’s lives?...When it so difficult to examine our own attitudes and actions. It is so easy to point out what other people are doing wrong. It is easy to pass judgment. We can very quickly point out what other people need to change. And generally, people do not respond well when people tell them what to do or what not to do. But it is easy for us to tell others how to live, yet making authentic changes in our own life is challenging.
Edward Grinnan prays a simple prayer that asks God to teach us to reach out, rather than pull back, to include rather than exclude, to trust rather than fear.
Do you remember the paint by numbers kits? My relationship with those was very complex. Part of me loved it- it was easy and most often it turned out exactly like it was supposed to --perfect. But another part of me really disliked paint by numbers. What if I had other ideas for this picture? What if I wanted to use another color? Would I be wrong? In many ways I am a perfectionist. I like schedules, organization and order. But what happens when God wants to do something different? I want to make room for art in my life. Ever since I was little my perception of God was seen as Him being the Ultimate Artist; The Creator; The Maker. In the beautiful blue ocean and white sandy beaches, in the trees changing colors, in the mountains, in the purest of snow, in the jungle, in the water falls, in the sun rise and sun set and in the stillness of night I see evidence of God’s Beauty and Grace. Our awesome Creator can use ugly, awful messes of people to do His work, to build His Kingdom. Who am I to pass judgment on anyone? When it is so evident that the Creator is at work.
Christian maturity, as Paul describes it, is concern with what is beneficial, what promotes Godliness, what glorifies God, and how we can honor people in our relationships and our community. I hope that little by little we are learning to treat each other the way that God wants. I hope that we can let God write our story, without letting worldly expectations interfere. I hope that we can measure our life by God’s standards. I hope that we can ask ourselves what builds up, honors and promotes growth- and I hope we can live in such a way that does just that.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life…One thing I ask of the Lord is that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord…”
Psalm 27:1,4
