Love Through A Mirror

Reflection on motivations for selfless living and practical advice for reading that will stir our hearts

Photo by Alex Lopez on Unsplash

Here’s a challenge for you:

Go look around your house and find a mirror. Now, throughout the rest of your day, look at yourself in that mirror. Don’t look away. If you’re doing something, continue to look at yourself. If you’re talking to someone, continue to look. If you’re getting gas, keep looking. Then at the end of the day put the mirror away.

How did it go?

Did you get anything done?

Did you have to explain what you were doing?

Could you notice anyone else?

When you weren’t doing anything, did you analyze your face more?

What a silly challenge, huh?

I probably don’t need to write anymore. I can assume that you know very well where I’m going with this.

Why is that?

Because this is our reality.

This is my reality. We live lives where our “self” and our sin thwarts everything we do. It’s as though we have to see ourselves in everything. We have to hold ourselves in the forefront of every conversation, every suffering (even if it’s not our suffering), every celebration, every situation, every time we leave our house, and the list is endless.

This goes deeper, too. Because our selfish bent is what drives our lust and attitudes from day to day. You feel this. I feel this.

This is not a “guilt trip” post, but an encouragement to fight what wages war in us kind of post. I’m not here to tell you to “do better or else.” That won’t help. So what will?

One of my favorite passages in scripture is, Luke 7:36-50.

It’s about a time when Jesus enters a house of a Pharisee; Simon’s house. They are eating together and a woman enters and begins to kiss and wipe Jesus’s feet. I may have mentioned this in a previous post. But, the story goes on to show us that Simon ridicules this woman in his mind. He considers her a sinner. He thinks Jesus should know what she has done and get rid of her.

We can tell Simon’s attitude in this is one of pride. Which is our selfishness. Us viewing ourselves as “great” and above all else.

But, Jesus gives an answer and I think it will help us as we try to fight this “love through a mirror” type of living. He gives a parable about two debtors and ends with a little phrase,

“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Luke 7:47

Here’s how this will help us in our fight: We must set our minds, hearts, and affections on Christ work on our behalf. We must let the gospel become more for us than “I’m not going to hell.”

The gospel is full of wonderful things. Life changing promises. Many don’t know this because we are a culture attached to our phones, which promote what? Us. We are also so busy and worried that we don’t slow down enough to think deeply about anything.

More than this, we must become very in tune with how sinful we are. I don’t mean that we sulk and navel gaze in our sin, but that when we see our sin, we find more and more love for Christ because we begin to see what great thing he has done for us. We must grasp that Christ actually loves us.

You see, many of us think of sin in a shallow way. We think of sin as cussing and drugs. Sin is deep my friends. We must see it as it is. Then Christ will be our treasure. Indeed, it will help us love deeper. That’s what I want for us. I want us to put ourselves aside and really love our brothers, deeply.

So, how much have you been forgiven?

Has this made you more loving or do you find yourself as a judge more than a servant?

Let’s look at some passages and see if we can find things to lift our hearts to a greater love.

One thing I want to show you, for when you are reading by yourself, is that you will find a command and then right after the command you will find a motivation.

This is important to learn, because this is what will help your heart change! One thing about our savior is that he never ask us to do something he hasn’t done for us.

let me show you:

Philippians 2:3-4 says,

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."

This is a command. A very hard command, wouldn’t you agree? So how can this become a way of living for you and me? Do we white knuckle it? Force ourselves to do things? Well, that will look good on the outside, but your heart will probably be cursing it on the inside. But, what if you ponder what comes after this? Let it sink in.

It says,

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

Christ did that. For who? You. He became like you and I, bore our sin, and died a criminals death. Why? For our salvation. He didn’t think of himself, but laid himself down for us. What a truth to let our hearts bathe in! Can you sit and think about this today? This is the motivation!

Or consider 1 Peter 2:18-25,

“Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.”

There’s the command. Do good even if you suffer. It’s a gracious thing in the sight of God. He loves a determined heart to do good, no matter the outcome. Now, watch the motivation!

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, (You see? This is the example for your motivation!) so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. (He was perfectly good) When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. (Even if it cost him) He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

So we read, again, of a command or urging and then the motivation.

You will find many verses that do this. Go read and mark them in your bible! Let your heart graze on the wonders you find. I encourage you to think deeply.

Here are some other verses that we can chew on and then see where Christ has left an example:

Romans 12:10 says,

“Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor."

Imagine you and I “outdoing” each other. Always wanting the other person to have more praise than ourselves. Have more comfort and joy than ourselves. This is truly community changing. Everyone wants to be the show in our day. I mean look at YouTube. Everyone wants the spotlight.

That’s another part that must be focused on in relation to this; we can’t outdo in order to be seen by others. The kind of outdoing in this passage is in order to only promote the other, because we really love to see them do well and be well. Christ did this for us. He wanted our redemption. He really loved us. He loves us. We have no other response but to give that love to our brothers in a lavish way.

Galatians 5:13 says,

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

You see, Christ has given us a righteousness that he paid for. He purchased our right standing. We don’t have to earn it. We can’t. Religions are always pushing people to do more good than evil, so that their evil outweighs their bad. This isn’t so for the Christian. You and I aren’t good. Christ died and cleared our debt. He gave us his life in exchange for ours. We are now considered righteous and good in God’s sight. We can’t love perfectly and we have to wage war because sin is still present, but God sees us as perfect. We are free.

Now, some may use that freedom to carry on in sin. We can’t do that. In order to be living a life that’s less focused on ourself we must cling to our example we see in Christ. He has set us free so we don’t have to be selfish any longer. We don’t need approval anymore on how we look outwardly. Moms, if you have wild hair and no make-up, that doesn’t make you less right with God. If someone makes a comment, you don’t have to try to earn their acceptance. You’re free. Dads, if you don’t know how to get somewhere and your wife tries to help, let her help! What do you have to prove? You never knew everything anyways. You don’t have to prove that you “don’t got this.” You probably don’t got it. Christ died because you don’t. You’re free.

1 Corinthians 10:24 says,

"Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor."

This is a fruitful life. This is a mirrorless life. So focused on others that their good actually becomes our good. That’s the thing about selfless living; everyone gets taken care of. I know there’s that doubt, “Well, if I live like this, people will take advantage of me..”

let me show you a verse,

“Therefore (speaking about suffering as a Christian) let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

You see? Your life is in God. Do good no matter if you feel taken advantage of. We have been given eternal life. No one is robbing you, you will live forever. Let us stop trying to keep our lives. We are free to be risky! Let everyone have everything! We are so earthly minded and self-centered that we are pathetic in our love for one another. We have to focus on Christ! We need to refresh our minds with what’s real! This world is passing away! Give it up and love!

Mark 10:45 says this of Jesus,

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

You know why? Because he had all he needed. He knew the mission and he knew the father. So his love was full. He served and served to the point of death and he still is alive! That’s what is true for every Christian! Though you die, yet you will live!

So, going back to the mirror challenge. I think the best way for us to stop thinking of ourselves is this:

1. Focus on the Gospel. Engulf our minds in who we are and what Christ has done. We must see our sin in its ugliest forms and embrace Christ with our fullest strength.

2. We must find our motivation in what Christ has done for us.

3. We must embrace what’s eternal and let go of what’s earthly. This world is passing away. This is not our home. I think this hinders selfless love in dramatic ways.

4. Love and let what happens, happen. Entrust your soul to your faithful creator and keep doing good even if it kills you. Even if you are taken advantage of.

5. Cling to Christ.