Mirrors

Doug never met a mirror he didn’t like. For some reason, he and I seem to be on the same exercise schedule, and I’ve been unable to ignore his propensity to gaze upon his image in every mirror (of which there are many) in the gym. By the look of his physique, he has worked hard to get in shape, but celebrating the accomplishment has given way to celebrating himself. He struts for others to notice, grunts for others to hear, and, I must confess, I have never seen anything like it. Then I realize, I have.

There’s the successful businessman who lived in (and off) the shadow of his father’s accomplishments. In a small community, he was able to have a real impact, but soon impact gave way to prestige, accomplishments to appearance. The size of his contributions became based on surpassing others on the printed donor list, and Board appointments based on being listed beside other important people on the letterhead. Like Doug, everything became about the mirror.

There’s the community advocate who loved to help others. His passion and talent led to running for this office, then the next. With each new post came hunger for more, and before long he was running for mayor. Every move, like Doug’s, became calculated for maximum notice. In the process, his desire to serve became a need to lead. The mirror became his only focus.

Then there's the man who felt called by God to serve in ministry. It was a focus or purpose that filled him with deep excitement and gratitude, but eventually service gave way to achievement, obedience to accomplishment. The ministry became “his,” not God’s, and, instead of glorifying God, his work was all about glorified himself. In other words, his ministry became a mirror, not a window.

I now look at Doug in a different way. When I see him flexing before the mirror, smiling with great satisfaction, I realize how many mirrors surround me, and how easy it is to stop and stare at the image. His fixation is a call to avoid mirrors, to resist flexing, and simply go about the work I’ve been given to do with a grateful heart.