Mirrors

"If we're truthful with ourselves, we'll see a lot of things we'd really rather not look at", says Shelly Beach in The Silent Seduction of Self-Talk. And I don't think she's talking about unplucked eyebrows and gray hairs. Okay, maybe the eyebrows. But she really means for us to look below the surface at the irritations we feel toward certain people; at the way we are so easily annoyed, even angered; at our me-first approach to situations (like checkout lines?); at my, dare I say it?, anger toward God for not working things out my way.

We probably all need to take that good long look at our real selves and deal with what we see there. Here are some first steps:

• Ask God to reveal hidden ungodly motives and sense of entitlement to you. Shelly says, "One of the most amazing things about our self-talk is our power to deceive ourselves into thinking preposterous things." God can open your eyes to those things.
• Journal what God reveals to you. Ask a close friend to help you with blind spots and any victim mentality you may be exhibiting. Ask yourself hard questions. Listen to yourself. Practice silence.
• Seek to be accountable to someone. Ask that good friend to tell you what you sound like.
• Make new choices based on what God has shown you.
• Draw near to God; tend a passion for him. Soak in Scripture, even memorizing it.

What is God really after here? Does he want us to become people who stare at ourselves all the time, watching our every step, lest we step out of bounds? Romans 8:29 tells us what he is after: "For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." What is he after? Our sanctification, our Christlikeness, our looking like him, "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God." (Philippians 1:11) So it's not really about me and my eyebrows at all, is it? It's about freedom for me and glory for him.

Thoughts?
Jean