January 18, 2024

“It’s All About Jesus!”
Luke 15 (The Parables of the Lost)
“When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger!’” – Luke 15:17 (NLT)
“A Mirror Moment”
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.
Posted in
Posted in , ,

Recent

Archive

 2024

Categories

Tags

5000 Abraham All-in Andrew Beggar Bible Bystander Challenge Christian Christmas Conscience Dietoself Dry Ears Easter Family Free GPS Galilee God can God God’s plan God’s work God’s Good deeds He’s there Holy Spirit Howtogettoheaven I can’t Israel Jericho Jerusalem Jesis Jesusisyourshepherd Jesus Jews John Joseph Judea Kesus Kongdom Larry Bird Lazarus Levi Light Lord Lord’s Prayer Martha Mary Messiah Mother’s Day Nature News Nicodemus Opportunity Palm Sunday Peter Pharisees Philip Phillip Prayer Rocks Roman Samaria Samaritan Satan Soldier Sunday Thomas Walk Word Yeast Zacchaeus able above abundance accept action active acts addictions addiction admiration advice afraid again alliswell all alone always amaze amazing anger announce another answered anxiety anyone apologize application approval around arrogance arrogant asked attention attitudes attitude attraction audience authority average awe back bad baptism baptize barge in become beg behavior belief believe belong better beyond be big birth bitterness bit blessings blessing blind man block bluff born again born box bread breakthrough breath bridegroom bridge brokenness broken brothers brother business busy buyer call out calling call caregiver care caring cave celebrate chains changed changes change character charge child choices choice church clean clear climb closed hearts comfortable comfort commitment community companion compassion confused connect control conversation correction created creation creator credit crisis critics cross crowd cryout curses daily dare dark daughter day dead deal death debt decisions decision deeper defend defense depression desire despair despai desperation devil die different difficult direction dirt disagreement disappointment disciples discouragement disease distance divide divine doctor does donkey don’t waste doubt down doyouwanttogetwell? draw people in drift each earthly emotionalrollercoaster emotional emotions empty enemy entertain entitled entitlement envy equal escape eternal life eternal eternity every kind everyday everyone evidence example exceptional excitement expectations experience eyes eye failure fair faithful faith fall farmer far fasting father fatigue fear feeding feed feel feet festival fickle fire first world first five thousand five-thousand flavor flesh focus follow forever forgiveness forgiven forgive foundation freedom friends friend fruitful fruit fulfill further gather ghost gifts gift given up gives give glory godshapedhole goodness good gospel go grace grand idea grandparent grateful gratitude grave clothes grave great greed growing guilt handle hands hang ups happen hard work hardships hardship hard harvest have to head healer healing healthy health heal hears hearts heart hear heaven hell helpless help heroes hidden hide hiding highs holiday holy day holy home honest honored honor hopeless hope house how humble humility hungry hurting hurt if only image immediate impact important in-laws influence information insecurity inside instantly instructions integrity intention intercession interruption invite issues items itsalright jealousy joy justify kind king knows ahead know label lame lamp law lay lazy leanonGod leftovers leper liedabout life-change life limit linen listen living water longing looker looking loss lost loveGod loveJesus loved lovemorethanthese love lower lows lust made magnetic majesty make manna marriage mask matters meaning mercy ministry miracles miracle mirror mission misuse moment money moon more mother motives mount mouth move multiply name near needhelp need negative neighbor newlife new night notable obedience obey obstacle older old onestory onetruegod one open others other out overcome overflow over ownership pain palm paralytic parent party passion path tour guide paths path patience peace people perfume persecuted personal person physical piece places place plank plant plan pool possessions powerful power praise pray preach precious prepare presence present priceless pride private problems prodigal prophecy prophets protection provide provision purpose questionbehindthquestion questions question quickly quiet random reach react reason recincile reckoning recognize reconnect redeemer reflect relational relationships relentless remember repent resentment resilience respect respond response restoration restore rest resurrection return reveal rich right away righteous right risk road rock roof room royalty ruin rule sabbath sacrifice sad safety safe salt salvation same saveme save say scarcity school scripture searching search second-guessing security seeds seed seeing seen selfish sermon servant serve serving shadows shame share sheep shepherd sick significance signs simple sinners sinner sinner’s prayer sins sin sky small part small snake soil son sorrow soul sovereignty speak special spend spiritual birth spirit spread start star stereotype stewardship storms storm story stranger strength stress strong man struggle study stupid suffering summary superficial supply support surrender sync talents talent talk teachable teach temple temptation tempted tenacious tender testthespirits test thankful things thinking thirst thorn thoughts throne time timing together tomb tomorrow tongue-tied touch tough toys tradition tragedy transformed treasures trials tried troubled trust truth try turn two uncertain uncomfortable unconditional undeserving unexpected unfair unfinished unfulfilled unknown unseen us value view viral virgin visit voice vulnerable waiting wait wake up walking walkonwater warning water watwr waves ways way weakness weak wealth weary wedding weeds weep well wept what can whatcanidoforyou whatsbehindthehurt what what’s wheat when who will windows wine wink wisdom with witness woman workers working work world-changer world worry worship worthy wounded wrll wrong yourself you