Mirror, Mirror on the Wall (1)

“The clay doesn’t ask, ‘Why did you make me this way?’’’ Isa 45:9 CEV

A lot of us are unhappy with what we see in the mirror. Indeed, some of us are so unhappy that we spend a fortune to change it. And while it’s good to look your best, God never intended our looks as a statement of our value to Him, or to others. Whatever physical features you may have inherited, here are some scriptural truths worth considering: (1) Resenting your looks just puts you at odds with God. The Bible says, “You have no right to argue with your Creator. You are…a clay pot shaped by a potter. The clay doesn’t ask, ‘Why did you make me this way?’” God intends you to be His clay container; a practical, usable vessel; not a fancy ornament for display. “We carry this precious Message around in the unadorned clay pots of our ordinary lives. That’s to prevent anyone from confusing God’s incomparable power with us” (2Co 4:7 TM). Your value isn’t in how you look, but in what you contain—the life-changing message of God’s grace! (2) Resenting your looks results from false comparisons. Today we’re driven to become reflections of some unattainable ideal. Airbrushed models on TV sell us everything from cornflakes to cars. Let’s get real! “They are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” (2Co 10:12 NLT). Unhappiness over your appearance results from ignorance of God’s marvelous and creative purpose for you. And that’ll become clear to you when you “look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect” (Heb 12:2 NCV).

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