October 4, 2022 — Going from Mere to Mirror

You like homonyms?” Stan asked me one morning.

“You mean like with gravy?” I asked.

“No,’ Stan replied. “That’s hominy. I’m asking about homonyms.”

“Oh,” I said. “Sorry, I misunderstood what you said. You mean like two words that sound alike but have different meanings, is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan said. “I like homonyms and think they can be a lot of fun. Actually I saw one the other day that has importance for my faith walk.”

Even though I knew he did, I asked, “Do you want to tell me about it?”

“Sure do,” he replied. “I think it might help you just as it helps me.”

“Alright,” I said, “let’s hear it.”

“The difference between ‘mere’ and ‘mirror’,” Stan replied. “M, e, r, e” versus a mirror that reflects a person’s image.”

“‘Mere’ versus ‘mirror’?” I said. “What could that possibly have to do with your faith walk?”

“The apostle Paul wrote about he difference between a faith walk that consists of walking as mere men, m, e, r, e, versus one where the walk is as the image or reflection of Christ.”

“Where’d Paul write about that?” I asked.

“The first part, as I see it,” Stan replied, “is where Paul was writing to the church in Corinth about the fleshly desires of some of the people. He said they were walking as mere men, rather than how they should be walking.”

“Walking as mere men,” I repeated. “What’s that look like?”

“Seems to me,” Stan replied, “that Paul described it pretty clearly, that such people were walking according to the desires of the flesh. And, while Paul didn’t mention it, I think he could have easily and correctly added ‘the world and the devil’.”

“The world, the flesh, and the devil,” I said. “If that’s not how we are not supposed to walk as mere men, how are we supposed to walk?”

“As I see it,” Stan replied, “Paul covered that in his letter to the church in Rome where he wrote about how believers are to be conformed to the image of Christ.”

“Conformed to the image of Christ,” I repeated, “so we will reflect His image like a mirror. Is that it?”

“That’s it,” Stan replied. “We are to reflect that image like a mirror so other people will see Christ in and through us.”

“How’s that supposed to happen?” I asked.

“For me,” Stan replied, “I am to be continually guided by the Holy Spirit in answering His question of whether I am walking as a mere man guided by self, or am I a mirror of the Risen Christ reflecting all that He has for me to reflect into the world while I remain on this side of eternity.”

“That sounds kind of like the steps of discipleship we often talk about,” I commented.

“How so?” Stan asked.

“Well,’ I replied, “not walking as a mere man could be like denying myself, and walking as a mirror that reflects the image of Christ could be like taking up what God has for me to take up, and then, of course, following could be like following however, wherever, and whenever He wants to lead.”

“Well spoken, my friend,” Stan replied with a smile.

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Bible verses to consider:

Are you not walking like mere men?  1 Corinthians 3:3.

For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren. Romans 8:29.

And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” Luke 9:23.

Prayer:  Thank you, Father, for your free and gracious provision of life with you in eternity when my time here is completed so that I could receive the Holy Spirit who wants to guide me in all things so I am being who and doing what you intend on this side of eternity. I confess that too often I fail to follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and choose to walk as a mere person, rather than as the image of Christ. Please forgive the foolishness of those choices based on my self-focus. And please help me follow every step of your lead so I do, in fact, reflect as a mirror the image of Christ rather than the image of self focused on the world, the flesh, and the devil. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision through the cross of Christ so you have the opportunity to spend eternity in God’s presence when it is time? If no, why? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing on this side of eternity? Are you walking as a mere person pursuing the things of self, along with the world, the flesh, and the devil? Or are you being transformed into a mirror image of Christ so He is manifested in and through you to the watching world? If you sense the need to change from “mere” to “mirror,” how is that going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?