Mirror Mirror… Who’s The Fairest?

2 The Lord looks down from heaven
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

~Psalm 14:2-3

So I was thinking today about how at times, people like to compare themselves to others, who are …….. mmmmm…….. less “good”.

If we’re honest, the old quote from the Evil Queen in Snow White, (“Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?”) is something we all have probably said in some form or another, when trying to rate our own goodness.

Right???? ………. I know I’ve never said exactly that…… usually it came out like……

“So- n- so is a real jerk, I’m glad I’m not like that!”

Thee Bloomin Idiot

Yep that’s about right, minus the expletive I probably called the guy.

We like to think of ourselves as better than the other guy.  I suppose that’s just human nature.  To be sure, there are some true saints out there I wouldn’t compare myself with, because then I’d feel like a boil on humanity’s butt, as oppsed to feeling superior!  So…. of course I always look for some, ne’er do well, who is obviously of less character than myself!  I’ll add those saints, are only saints in comparison with me.

Anyway, I Googled that famous movie quote, and the second listing was an article on plastic surgery and psychology!

“Bwut of cwurse”

~Inspector Clousseau

Mirror’s……, looking better than we do….., those two are perfect bed mates!

This is a quote from that article.  I thought it fit perfectly with my point.

It could mean that we want to live longer but don’t want to look like we are living longer. Why are we so preoccupied with changing our looks, with trying to put on a false face? I think it reflects our negative views of aging, our fear of aging, our resistance to reality.

~Transitions Through Life, Surviving Every Stage Of Life, Psychology Today,  9/11/11, Nancy K. Schlossberg Ed.D

Hmmm??????

Our resistance to reality, changing our looks, by putting on a false face!  Now I’m not talking about plastic surgery, but psychology certainly applies.  We do want to feel good about ourselves, so if we can create this false face in our psyche, fantastic!  But the reality is, we are all wrinkled up, scarred, and shriveled versions of what we were designed to be, and it’s not because of aging…. it’s because of sin!

The scripture from Psalms reminds us that…

All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.

So many today think mankind is inherently good.  Even many Christians think that, But God tells us something completely different.  Not even one is good!!!!!!

OUCH!!!!!!!  Stick that in your psyche!!!!

19We know that everything in the Law was written for those who are under its power. The Law says these things to stop anyone from making excuses and to let God show that the whole world is guilty. 20 God doesn’t accept people simply because they obey the Law. No, indeed! All the Law does is to point out our sin.

Romans 3:19-20

The Law of God….. you know……. those pesky 10….. the ones we aren’t allowed to revere in our society anymore,…….  Or……. all the other laws that God provides throughout the Bible,…….. Or   heck let’s add man’s own laws,……everyone of them,………  God says we are to obey…………

13 All of you must be willing to obey completely those who rule over you. There are no authorities except the ones God has chosen. Those who now rule have been chosen by God.2 So when you oppose the authorities, you are opposing those whom God has appointed. Those who do that will be judged.

Romans 13:1-2

So if we disobey even one law we sin!  And Jesus?………..He takes it even further………

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

~Matthew 5:28

He says we sin when we contemplate sin, even though we don’t follow through!  SAY WHAT!!!  How many of you care to share all your THOUGHTS with others.  Didn’t think so!

Sin is very, very sticky, it sticks to us like skin!   Paul tells us that,

“my flesh wars against my spirit”.  

You see, our flesh, our bodies are chalk full of sin.  It is who we are!  It is who we need to see ourselves as…… in order to truly grasp the pressing issue at hand!

The law is a mirror, If we truly look at the reflection within, we will see the flaws in ourselves.  We all have failed the law inumerable times, in thought and deed.  No plastic surgery will fix those flaws, and no amount of following certain laws will justify our failures to follow other laws.  Two wrongs don’t make a right and two rights don’t make up for a wrong.

To see ourselves as inherently good is Satan’s key deception……  thinking of ourselves that wa,y chokes the life out of us.  It does not allow us to see our need for a Saviour!

Can you see that?  The real you is reflected in light of all we have done wrong… and even if you only ever did one thing wrong it’d still be one too many!  The truth is we deceive ourselves into thinking we are good., when we are actually sinners……. period.

BUT

8 ……. God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 NIV

AND

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John 3:16-21

Yes everyone knows John 3:16!  But In this case I want to dwell on John 3:19-20.

We all have shameful stuff in our pasts, it’s this stuff that leads us to compare ourselves with others who have worse stuff than us! Right?!?  We hope no one will find out our stuff and so we hide it, we cover it up with a false face!

When someone breaks a law and is found out, they are charged with committing a crime and there is a trial.  They will receive a verdict. Hopefully they have a good lawyer/counselor.

We need to be honest, we need to share our guilt with the great counselor Jesus Christ.  He shares it with the judge God and offers to take the punishment for us.  God accepts that, because of Christ’s perfection, and His love for us!  We no longer have to hide in darkness ashamed of our past.  We have been freed, found not guilty because we had faith in Jesus Christ, the light of the world’s work!

However, keep it to ourselves, put on a false face, and we remain in darkness, and the verdict will be guilty!

God is just ………… the law condemns ………… Jesus saves!

 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John 3:17

If we were to ask that question made legendary in a Disney Fairytale, ……the answer we would get in reality is…… of Who is fairest of them all…………. would be  Jesus Christ!  He is the only way we can become ……………… Snow White!  Free from the stains or blemishes of our sin.

Again a quote from Dr. Schlossberg

No matter what we do, we will accumulate wrinkles and we will continually be disappointed in our image. If, instead, we focus on a purposeful life, and keep our intellectual, social and spiritual life energized we will be able to look at ourselves in the mirror and say, “job in progress, job well done.”

~Transitions Through Life, Surviving Every Stage Of Life, Psychology Today,  9/11/11, Nancy K. Schlossberg Ed.D

The law….the mirror…….Shines the light of the truth on who we are, but not the final verdict.  God reserves that right, and His love and Son’s sacrifice, says to us, when we are honest and trusting with Him,     as we live out this life

“job in progress”

and at the end of our days….

“job well done”

or as the scriptures say,

21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Matthew 25:21

Thought to ponder as you see your reflection; Who am I? ……..   REALLY ???  Do I know the only counselor that is able to keep me out of the hooskow, for the crimes I’ve committed?  Am I putting up a false facade?  Wil my verdict be guilty or innocent?