Clean Your Mirror

1 Corinthians3:2-3 -  The only letter I need is you yourselves! By looking at the good change in your hearts, everyone can see that we have done a good work among you.  They can see that you are a letter from Christ, written by us. It is not a letter written with pen and ink, but by the Spirit of the living God; not one carved on stone, but in human hearts.

The Corinthian church was being approached by men with letters of all their many qualifications that gave them the authority to preach and teach at their church….but many of these were false teachers looking for a way to lessen the faith of these great Christians.  Paul wanted the Corinthian Christians to understand the difference in a man who puffed himself up with all his possible credentials on paper…and a man like himself who had given his life over to God….and let the Holy Spirit control and transform him into a vessel of service for God.

He goes on to talk about how the spirit inside us should be a mirror….letting other’s see how the Holy Spirit is transforming us into God’s likeness….one small step at a time. Moses had to veil his face when he met with God…the brightness would have scared the Israelites.  It wasn’t until the evidence of God’s presence faded away from Moses face that he was able to walk around them without covering the glory he mirrored from God’s face.

The veil that hung between the holy of Holies ….the veil that protected man from the pure presence of God….was torn the moment Jesus conquered death on the cross. But man still has trouble grasping the concept that God’s presence is all around us…anywhere we go. Even I admit that I sense Him more in a church…or on the bank of a river. In essence…His Spirit was placed inside me…the moment I believed in Him.

Paul wanted them to understand one more thing about the presence of God. Satan knows earthly veils that prevent us from feeling God’s presence in our own lives….and that keeps others from seeing Him mirrored in what we do every day. Paul described it as a pride that allows man to puff himself up…but we could all name other veils that satan uses to keep our hearts from fully experiencing God’s presence and love. Perhaps vanity….or money….or new cars…or expensive houses…or name brand clothes…or video games…or TV.

I will as usual be the first to admit that I am guilty. His words are a great reminder to me to rethink what is important in my life. God is the only one who can give me power to do anything here on earth….any time I allow a veil to cloud my judgment…I have to backtrack to get back to where God wanted me to be. I need to clean my mirror this morning….it has become dirty with life and is not shining as bright as it could if I took the time to clean the veils off.

Father…thank you for the reminder that my life is to be a mirror of you.  Forgive me for the times that I have reflected things that you would never have done.  Help me to keep watch for the veil that satan tries to dirty my mirror with…so that ore of you can shine through to others.   Amen.