Slightly Bent
Slightly Bent
Categories: WEEKLY DEVOTIONALS
Tim Clinton, Ed.D. and Max Davis
You look at it a lot, but do you see things clearly? Check out the mirror on your car’s passenger side. Do you notice anything? There’s a little message across the bottom that reads, “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear”. That’s because the mirror is slightly bent to give a wider field of vision. But the images are distorted. Things seem farther away than they actually are. Not realizing this could be dangerous. Even disastrous. You must pay close attention when looking into this kind of this mirror.
You know, we live in a world that’s kind of bent like those mirrors. We see reflections from the culture and society around us, but it’s critical to realize that things are not always as they seem. Satan is the prince of the power of the air and he is referred to as an angel of light. Some of what you see of this world may look enticing, even right and spiritual, but partaking of them will end in confusion and heartache. Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (NKJ).
The Apostle Paul reminds us, “For now we see in a mirror dimly..” 1 Corinthians 13:12 ESV. The Greek word for “dimly” is ainigma and paints a picture of a vague, murky riddle. Life’s reflection can be unclear some days – a puzzle that seems obscure and even unrecognizable. Perhaps this is why the writer of Hebrews admonishes us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…” Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV. When we fix our gaze on Jesus, and see His reflection, the distortion of the pace, pain and pressure of life becomes refocused and redirected. Feelings no longer take control and become our reality. When we are focused on Christ, an amazing thing happens. His image is reflected onto us. Over time, we become more and more transformed into His image. Romans 12:2 says, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (NKJ) Then as we are transformed into His image, the life of Christ can be reflected from us into the lives of those around us. That’s how it works. Nancy Leigh DeMoss said, “What [others] most need is to see in you a reflection of what God is like and of the transforming power of the Gospel. Your life can create hunger and thirst for God in others’ lives and can be a powerful instrument in the hand of the Holy Spirit to draw their hearts to Christ.”
Is life unclear? Confusing? Ask God to help you see with eyes for Him. And He promises that one day all will be perfectly clear when we see Him face to face. “The man who gazes upon and contemplates day by day the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who has caught the glow of the reality that the Lord is not a theory but an indwelling power and force in his life, is as a mirror reflecting the glory of the Lord.” —Alan Redpath
As you go through your daily lives, fix your gaze upon Him and be transformed.
This devotional is an excerpt from Ignite Your Faith by Dr. Tim Clinton & Max Davis available at https://www.aacc.net/product/ignite-your-faith/.