January 18, 2024

The first phrase in our passage today is one of the most striking statements in Scripture. “When he finally came to his senses.” It is what we refer to as a “mirror moment.” It’s a moment when we finally see ourselves as we are. It’s that moment when we drop all the self-deception, all the blaming, and all the minimizing. It’s that point when we can’t deny anymore where our lives are and what we have become. It’s Sobering. Humbling. Horrifying. Devastating. Reality comes crashing in.
Some people have those moments as they take a good look at themselves. My wife talks about the “mirror moment” for the Prodigal Son being a moment when he sees himself in a mud puddle in the pig pen. He catches a glimpse of his dirty face and sees it’s not the innocent face he left home with. He tries to run his hand through his matted hair which hasn’t been washed in who knows how long. He sees in the mud puddle the kind of man he used to pity when he was growing up in his father’s house. A homeless man. A starving man. A broken man. That’s when it hits him. He has become the worst version of himself. He can’t deny it anymore. The mirror doesn’t lie. If he stays on this path, he is going to die. And he comes to his senses.
I read years ago that a moment’s insight is sometimes worth a lifetime’s experience. It’s so true. Maybe the best way we can avoid having a horrible mirror experience like the young man is to choose an honest mirror experience every day. Remember, if he had a good look in the mirror earlier in this story, he wouldn’t have had to have the mud puddle mirror later on. So let’s hold the mirror up today. How? By asking three probing questions of ourselves. One – “Are there any attitudes, outlooks, or behaviors in my life that I know aren’t pleasing to God?” Two – “Are there any secrets in my life that I’m hiding from God, my family, or myself?” Three – “When I look in the mirror, do I like the person that I see I’m becoming? If not, what do I need to change?” Those questions can help us make adjustments in our lives before we sink too far or do too much damage to ourselves or others. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but take it from the Prodigal Son. A short, quick, honest look in the mirror each day before God is a whole lot better than a long, horrifying look in a mud puddle. Have you had YOUR “mirror moment” today? That’s God’s Word for you today.