Throw Your Mirrors Down

When you look in a mirror, what do you see? This is not a rhetorical question. I really want you to answer it (even though I am going to give you the most obvious answer). You don't have to tell me your answer, but at least tell yourself. You see yourself. Don't you? I mean, that is what a mirror is for isn't it? Now, I have another question, how do you see yourself? Do you see beauty? Do you see your character? Or do you see all the imperfections? The one tiny little zit that nobody else in the world would notice? The one hair that is out of place?

Now, think about this. The greatest artist in the world has painted a picture of you. He used the best canvas with the highest quality paints. He gives every detail the greatest attention while still focusing on the big picture. When you look at that painting, what do you see? Do you see a reflection of yourself? Or do you see yourself as the artist sees you?

Here's the most important question. When you ask that artist to show you how he or she sees you, who is it? Who is the greatest artist in the world in your opinion? Whose artistic eye are you going to trust? If it's yourself, the picture you get is going to be the exact same as the reflection you see in the mirror. If it's another human being, he or she will probably include at least one imperfection in the painting, one that you'll never be able to erase, no matter how hard you try. If it's the one who created you and molded you, all you're going to see in that painting is what is beautiful about you.

I am part of a small group Bible study here on my college campus. This semester, our leaders give us a challenge every week that we are supposed to complete by the next week. Last week, our challenge was to write down how we think God sees us. I'll be honest, I didn't really take the time to write it down, but I did spend a lot of time thinking about it.

For years, I have been hearing, "God thinks you're beautiful. He always has. He always will. He created you. Who are you to say He messed up?" Honestly, it took me a while to grasp that, but I did finally get it about a year ago. I heard this Barlow Girl song. Two lines of this song say, "I'm looking into the eyes of who made me. And to Him, I am beauty beyond compare." After many times of hearing that song, something clicked. No matter how well I know that God sees me as beautiful, looking at my own depiction of myself doesn't work. I have to see through His eyes. Since then, I have done a pretty good job seeing myself as beautiful. There are still times when it's hard, but it's easier.

Recently, though, I have had some much bigger issues come up. I have questioned why God still loves me. I have questioned why He wants me to do what He wants me to do. I have questioned my qualifications for His love and His call basically.

When I looked in a mirror, this is the reflection I saw. I saw someone who no matter how much of God's love she had seen in the past week, still paid extra special attention to someone who didn't have the same love for her. I saw someone who wasn't strong enough to fix her own issues, let alone help other people through theirs. I saw someone who was always taking a step back instead of more steps forward.

Then, my Creator caused me to snap out of it. Through some very important people in my life, He let me know the reflection I was seeing was flawed. Over the last few weeks, He has shown me His picture, what He sees when He looks at me.

This is the picture He has shown me. He sees someone who is growing. Growing in love, growing in maturity, just growing. He's proud of where she's come and not where she's been. He sees those special moments when she is completely in love with Him, not the few when she is distracted by someone else. He sees His little girl, dependent on Him whether she acknowledges it or not, His precious child who means more to Him than anything on this earth. His little girl, who is always, always growing. He sees someone, who has had her share of mistakes in the past, but can now use those to lead other people. She can show them how to get out of those same situations. He sees a beautiful, still-developing leader.

Honestly, it's hard to remember to look at God's picture of me instead of my own reflection. It's a daily choice at minimum. On the really rough days, it can be a minute-by-minute decision. But it is always so worth it! It makes the day (or the minute) so much better!

So, in the words of Tenth Avenue North, "Throw your mirrors down." Instead, pick up the masterpiece the world's greatest artist has created. Look through His eyes and not your own. I promise you. It will be worth it.