The Mirror We Avoid

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2 weeks ago we talked about butting on a mask and being different in Church and then different in the world

but what happens when we refuse to even look in the mirror to see who we truly are?

You know that we all see ourselves a certain way, it might be a more positive light, and for some a negative light

For some it might be we see ourselves as nicer than we really are

for others we might see ourselves meaner than we really are

thinner

fatter

pretty

unattractive

smarter

dumber

(Years ago I thought I was thinner then I really was/ Story of Shasta picture)

But what about when it comes to Spiritual matters?

Like we think we are closer to God then we truly are

We think we have all the answers

we think our opinion is the right one

we think that we do not need anything or anybody spiritually

Throughout ministry I can tell you that these are the most dangerous mentalities to be in for both leaders and those in the pews

But we do not want to be confronted with the truth, so we avoid the mirror so we can still lie to ourselves

Proverbs even warns us

Proverbs 21:2 NIV

A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.

We all think we’re right—about everything. But the mirror doesn’t show our version; it reflects what God sees.

and we take a surface level look at ourselves we do not see what is wrong we only see what we think is right

I go to Church

I serve

I read my Bible

I pray for my food

But we are missing so much here, we can still have pride, and sin in our lives, even when we are going to Church, reading our bibles, serving, and praying. we avoid the mirror that shows us who we really are

See James addresses our problem when we avoid the mirror

James 1:22–25 NIV

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Every week we sit in this room and hear the Word

and some get deceived, we hear the Word and we check a box and think we are

saved

good with God

have a strong faith

We are fulfilling His will

But we are walking the path WE choose is good, and not the path that God wants us on

We hear the Word but we are not doing doing what we are suppose to do.

When we are in this phase we are lying to ourselves

Scripture tells us to not to avoid the mirror

Lamentations 3:40 NIV

Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.

To often we walk through life without doing this, we think we are alright, but in reality we are sifting away, farther and farther away from where we are suppose to be.

We must look in the mirror, we see if who we are is lining up with who God wants us to be.

We must look in the mirror and make sure that our actions are in line with what God is asking us to do.

If they are not we need to realign ourselves and our actions to be in line with God

The truth is that if we do not do this we can be in real danger

Revelation 3:17 NIV

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Sometimes we think we’re doing great—rich in faith. But Jesus tells one church, ‘You don’t even realize how lost you are.’ That’s what happens when we avoid the mirror.

See when we avoid the mirror, we are lying to ourselves, God knows who we truly are, God sees how we are, and us not looking at ourselves is just going to make things worse.

Invite God's Searchlight, Not Just Your Spotlight

Psalm 139:23 NIV

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

We tend to examine ourselves by our standards—our “spotlight” only shows what we want to see. But we need to ask God to shine His light on our hearts. Begin each day or devotional time with a prayer like:

“God, show me what I’m not seeing about myself.” This is where honest self-awareness begins.

Let the Word Be a Mirror, Not a Checklist

James 1:22 NIV

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Reading the Bible isn’t just about checking a box

—it’s a chance to hold up a mirror to your soul. Ask:

“Is this passage confronting something in me?” “Am I actually living this out?” Train yourself not to move on from Scripture until you’ve asked how it applies personally—and uncomfortably.

Get Real with God and Others

James 5:16 NIV

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Sometimes the mirror we avoid most is the one other people hold up to us. Find a trusted friend, leader, or spiritual mentor and ask them to speak into your life. When we isolate, we deceive ourselves.

“Who can I invite to lovingly hold me accountable?”

🔚 Closing Line/Call to Action

“You can avoid the mirror, or you can let it shape you into who God made you to be. But you can’t do both.”

Lord’s Table

Matthew 26:26–27 NIV

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.