“The Mirror”
There’s a new exercise product out there, or rather an old product with a high tech tweak… a pretty big tweak. It’s called “The Mirror,” and at first glance it looks as simple as it sounds. But wait till you turn it on… yes, I said “turn it on,” for this “mirror” is much more than a simple full-length mirror.
Once activated, “The Mirror” becomes an online interactive personal trainer! The user can pick from thousands of streamed live and on-demand classes displayed in the middle of the screen while at the same time compare their larger reflected moves on the full-length mirror surface. “The Mirror” costs about $1,500 (US), with a $250 (US) delivery fee and a monthly subscription cost of about $40 (US). You can check it out here.
But I fear “The Mirror” also lends itself to yet one more level of self-absorption. The potential is there for an ever deepening self-love.
Self-love is a danger of which our Saviour has specifically warned us to be wary. “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” as the New Living Translation has it (Matt. 24:12). “You have left your first love,” was His criticism of the church in Ephesus (Rev. 2:4). And Paul warns Timothy, “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves…” (2 Tim. 3:1).
This past Sunday Don Longworth drew clear distinctions between worldly love and true love Agapé love, the love of God.
We must remember that we, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, remain here in this present world because we have a work to do. We are ambassadors of that great King and Kingdom, lights in a world of darkness, salt and sweet aromas in a very bland and tasteless society.
Shortly before His departure, our Lord gave us this commission. He said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35).
He then went out and showed us this love. Not a love of self, not even our love for God, Rather, as has been said, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (John 4:10). We cannot truly know love at all until Christ reveals His love to us.
Our job is not to gaze in a mirror; our job is to be a mirror, reflecting God’s love to a world that has no light at all.
More tomorrow…
To hear Don Longworth’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.
thebrokenrunner 