Apples of Gold

Reminiscence is a powerful thing. My youngest daughter and I have been spending a bit of time introducing Elijah to his great-grandparents back at my childhood home in Maine. It is always a special time when I get to see my family. FaceTime is great, but warm hugs are vastly superior!

My parents home is situated in a beautiful, relatively secluded area. The freshness of the air is tangible. The peaceful surroundings offer the opportunity to embrace a time of restoration and refreshing. I realize the extent of my “city-fication” as I find myself a tad nervous when I venture down the road on foot, wondering if I might run into a bear, or maybe one of the coyotes I hear howling outside of my window most nights. I think my Glock would be a regular companion on my outdoor excursions if I found myself living in this area again. 

Reflecting on my childhood brings back a tsunami of memories. Most of them are fond but, like an unexpected paper cut, some still arouse deep, unresolved pain. 

Throughout our journey we have, hopefully, learned many lessons as a result of circumstances we have faced. There are things we look back on and wish we had handled them more graciously. There are opportunities that we purposely side-stepped only to find them bouncing around in the realm of “I wonder where that path would have taken me?” Memory lane triggers so many emotions. 

If we value honesty, our contemplation is often accompanied by conviction as we approach some of the more treacherous areas of our spiritual history. While avoiding egregious sin, we often treat others as if they are merely stand-in characters making a fleeting appearance in the story of our life. 

When our desires and motives are weighed on the scale of biblical compliance we often come up short of our self-estimated level of spiritual maturity. In his mercy, God is ready to show us what is really going on inside of us.

As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. Proverbs 27:19

I’m not a big fan of the face I see staring back in the mirror these days. Time has begun to leave it’s mark with unwanted lines and wrinkles. Choosing to avoid mirrors might make me feel better but it doesn’t alter the course of the aging process. 

Sometimes we don’t want to gaze on what is reflected in the mirror of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit has a way of bringing attention to things we should have handled differently. We can turn away, offer excuses, blame the other guy, or allow conviction to accomplish it’s purpose and admit our guilty status. 

If you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. James 1:23-24

Walking away from the mirror with lettuce in my teeth or an obvious wardrobe malfunction would be pretty foolish. How much more foolish would it be to turn away and pretend I do not see the frailty of my own heart reflected in the teaching of Scripture? 

When we shrink back from the loving correction of our heavenly Father the danger of re-writing our personal history with a rather slanted version is very real. While God is aiming for the weaknesses in our own hearts we attempt to redirect his attention to the error of another. God turns the spotlight back on us, reminding us that we are the focus here. 

Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? Matthew 7:3

Don’t worry, God is working on them too. But you are not responsible for how they respond. You are, however, liable for your own retort. Remember, God doesn’t correct us to shame us. He corrects us to shape us into the image of Christ. 

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18

Transformation is a long and arduous process. It is often painful and “unfair”. It can feel like God is picking on you and allowing others to get away with so much. The question is: Do you really want to be more like Jesus? 

If you answered “no” you can stop reading here. If you answered “yes”, the next question is: What are you willing to endure in order to accomplish it? 

“It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” A.W. Tozer