Judging our Reflection

We went to a friend's house for dinner on Sunday. When we got there I beheld the full "effect" of my 12yo dd's outfit. To say it clashed would be putting it mildly. :) Now I didn't get to see her before we left the house because all 8 of us were trying to get ready at the same time and she went out to the car while I was still blowdrying my hair. (I do believe that that move was on purpose) When I asked hubby about it he said that he didn't see that hat and the shoes (Fashion police he is not!) Anyway, I digress..... Later I was going to have a "talk" with her and the first question I was going to ask was 'Didn't you look in the mirror?', and then I realized - I never gave her a mirror to look into. No wall mirror, no full length mirror, nothing, nada. The only mirror she has to look into is the one in the bathroom and because of its height, I doubt she can see below her neck. Well, that ended that "conversation" right there. The failure with her not properly evaluating her image lay not at her feet but at mine. How can I ask her to inspect her image when I have not provided her with the proper tools to do the job?

That got me to thinking, what other tools have I failed to equip my daughter with? This is what God laid on my heart- As my daughter grows and matures into a beautiful young lady, have I given her the proper tools with which to judge her Christian image - her walk with the Lord? Now before I continue, please understand I'm not saying that we should go around judging others. I do, however, think that it is important for us to each inspect our own personal walk. And while our walks may be different, the mirror that we use isn't. The Bible states that we were all created in the image of God. "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Gen 1:27) We are the reflection of God - when others look at us they are to see a reflection of God. Yet how can we say how well we are doing if we don't have a mirror. Our mirror is this - the knowledge of God. To examine our 'appearance' we must know ALL of God to see if we are a proper reflection of Him. A partial knowledge won't do - with that we can only judge a portion of our reflection (The hair might look good - but you can't see the run in the stockings. And, oh by the way, did I mention that the shoes don't match?) :) The knowledge must also be true. Our knowledge cannot be based on what others say or feel about God. What does God say about God? He, and He alone, is our standard bearer. False information produces a distorted image. Its like looking at your reflection in water - you look pretty good and then when you actually look in a real mirror you see the smudges of mascara under your eyes, the hairs that weren't really in place, the smudge of chocolate on your face from where the baby touched you. You judge your appearance on an inaccurate reflection - looks good until presented with the truth.

In this I have failed my daughter (and my other children, as well) . Have I fully equipped them to accurately judge their own spiritual appearance? Oh, I've given them Bible knowledge and tried my best to train them up in the Lord - but when was the last time I took the time to see how accurately assess how each was processing this knowledge? And what about the thoughts, ideas, feelings and reflections of others? Has this information permeated their knowledge and distorted their spiritual image? When have I sought God's advice or counsel on this? I've blindly gone about giving them spiritual knowledge; but never have I asked God if they are properly processing that knowledge. Oh LORD, how many time have I attributed their behavior to sin, when the fault was actually mine? For failing to provide them with the proper equipment with which to judge their spiritual reflection. For not noticing the things that may have distorted the truth. Please forgive me.

So now I have two things to do this week. #1 is easy - buy my dd a full-length mirror so she can accurately inspect her physical image before leaving her room. #2 is a bit harder; to prayerfully consult God and ask Him to reveal to me knowledge of him that my children may be lacking and to also reveal to me any distortions that they may have. Then I shall also ask that he guide me in correcting these distortions. Please pray for me, I think this may only be the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

Blessings,

Theresa