I met a man sometime ago
But had seen him many times before
He was a constant variable in my home
And had often times crossed my door
In the humble district where I lived
He was highly regarded by everyone
But none knew him as well as I did
For I saw him midday, night and dawn
I was pretty pleased with what I saw
And held much admiration for this man
He aimed to please most everyone
But himself the most was his plan
Often times before the mirror
He would smile at the face he saw
Fascinated by the person there
The smile would widen across his jaw
Across the decades I watched him
Noting his achievements as they occurred
Growing in the eyes of his community
Marching onward undeterred
We had several times to chat
And the conversation was about others
But in depth about himself
About him he never really bothered
As time went on I lost track of him
The chats were not as often as before
But one day I confronted him
As he was standing before the mirror
I asked, “Do you know who you see?
Do you know whom you are staring at?
When he smiles and you smile too
Is that smile really a fact?”
I could see that he was puzzled
For the smile gradually went away
It was replaced by a quizzical look
And for a bit he had nothing to say
I inquired about the sudden change
He was silent a little while longer
I could see I had struck a raw nerve
He grew weak instead of getting stronger
The proud look had left his face
A serious visage took its place
The smile he often started with
Of it there was not the slightest trace
A true reflection began to emerge
As the question confronted him again
“Do you know who you see?”
Bombarded both his mind and brain
It is so easy to look in the mirror
And see there a Hollywood star
But do we stop to ask ourselves
Is that person who we really are?
We are actors and actresses everyday
In this life we play many parts
And often as we stand before the mirror
We are simply perfecting that art
So that what we see is what we get
For the superficial becomes the fact
And somewhere along the line
We are not looking at who we are looking at
Such was that gentleman’s case that day
As he stood before his looking glass
Suddenly realizing there was more to him
And the superficial would not last
One’s image is more than his face
Or what he has achieved in life
And unless he looks a great way deeper
He will never see that selfish strife
For we can so easily cover it up
With a smile that passes away
Holding on to it just long enough
And pretend to be having a bright day
Superficiality
Is a way of life today
With an abundance of daily pleasantries
To while the time away
The physical mirrors that we stare at
As we twist and turn and adjust
Are mere simple physical innovations
Which highlight the superficial stuff
There is a far better mirror, however
That shows us who we really are
And what’s really better about this mirror
Is it can help us become God’s star
For it is virtually impossible
To look therein and not see yourself
The information you gather there
Will reveal your spiritual health
You might not like what you see
But that’s a very good place to start
For as you peer in a little deeper at a time
It will begin to transform your heart
And what’s inside will become manifest
As that transformation takes root
And when next you stand before the mirror
You will actually see its fruit
The mirror of which I am speaking
Is the Spirit breathed Word of God
Not to be compared with the world’s vanity
Or the mirror of Satan, the fraud
For such mirrors will misguide you
Concerning who you think you really are
But God’s word is accurate and revealing
And such a mirror is better for you by far
So next time you stand before the mirror
Remember the mirror that is the Word
And like the man I started to tell you about
Your true image will not be obscured.
Rather than Mirror, Mirror on the wall
Take the Mirror, Mirror off the Shelf
And like me you will be guaranteed
To see a spiritual photo of yourself.
Stewart Russell© 2017
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