“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?
Growing up as a little girl in America, this famous line becomes somewhat engrained in our minds. Along with the connection it makes to the idea of vanity. And sin.
An evil queen whose misappropriated priorities place a love for herself and her own reflection above all she has the power, opportunity & responsibility to influence in her kingdom. She becomes so obsessed with her own reflection, she is willing to sacrifice another’s life to ensure the answer to that time old question, “who is the fairest of them all” is her. At all costs.
And while this villainous plot may seem so far fetched today, the question raised is: is it? Is it so far fetched from the reality many of us live day to day? With each post, story and selfie, how far are we actually from the same vanity and sin which ruled the queen in Snow White?
During a very dark season of my life, when I didn’t know Jesus, or have a relationship with Him, I was that queen. My priorities were off. My values broken. And I was living a life where sin, just like the evil queen, ruled me.
It wasn’t until an unexpected visit from an ex-boyfriend forced me to look into the mirror and see the stark contrast of who I once was versus who I had become.
That moment was THE moment when a great shift began to take place in my life. It was unwanted. Unexpected. And uncomfortable.
And rattled me to my core.
When I forced myself to look into that mirror, the reflection I saw staring back at me then, scared me. I was almost unrecognizable from the girl I once knew in my youth.
And in that moment, I was gifted the opportunity to choose: would I continue to walk down the path I was on, one which brought death & decay to my life and created a reflection which I could hardly stand to see?
OR, would I choose life? And love? And Jesus?
From that day on, my steps began to move away from sin and closer to Jesus. And what He taught me along the way is, the answer to the time-old question: “Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all,” is Jesus. As we begin to walk toward Him, we become more like Him.
And pretty soon, when we ask that question again, the answer becomes, ME.
The more of Him within us, the more we begin to reflect Him. His love. His beauty. And His light. Translucent Bright. Reflective. And clear.
If you are reading this and you are in a stage where that question makes you want to turn away from the mirror, this is your invitation. Your invitation to draw near to our Lord. To grow in relationship with Him. To begin to hear His word for you. To tap into the dreams He has for you and the desires He planted inside you. This is your opportunity to lean into trust. To step into faith. And to experience what it means to stand on His word.
The greater you know Jesus, the more He is inside you and the more beautiful you become.
Eventually you will look in that mirror ask: “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” And the answer will be YOU. Because Jesus is living inside of YOU and you are His reflection to the world.
You are going to see a victory in your life. He is waiting to shine through you and pour His love into and through you. Take a step toward Him.
From His heart, to mine, to yours,
Amanda
