Mirror Mirror On The Wall. . .

Throwback

Remember the mirror game? That game when two people stand in front of each other and the one has to imitate everything the other does, as if looking in a mirror?

Man, those where the days!

Just last Saturday in church two little girls did that for the children story. It was so cute. The one was crackin' up! And the other was so shy... After a while it started to die out. . . Sad.

The funny thing is when the person looking in the mirror does the most mind boggling things and the mirror has to imitate it, you know what I mean?

Ha! Good times. Good times.

So if you have no idea what I'm talking about, it can only mean one thing: your childhood sucked!

Just joking. Not funny; I know.

What is true is that in one way or another we've all played the role of the mirror, you know, the imitator. I remember watching a movie and wanting to imitate stuff I had just seen.

Even when resiting a line from the movie, I have to imitate the exact movements and facial expressions of the character--or at least I think it's exact.

I don't consider myself a funny person. But my family does. And they love to see me imitate other family members. Just yesterday I imitated one of my uncles and my mom was on the floor crying of laughter. Literally.

Ephesians 5

At times I find myself imitating the wrong thing, the wrong person, the wrong people.

And you?

I remember a summer in high school I went to a university down south for a summer program. We were all high school students from all over the country, which was cool. As I was chilling this one time, kicking it with a few other dudes, a student from the university found out that me and my boy were both from Philly so he invited us to kick it with him in his dorm room. There, I was faced with an interesting scenario. Homeboy lit up a blunt, took several puffs, and passed it over to me as he asked if I too wanted a few puffs. . .

What would you have done? Honestly.

You see, many times we find ourselves faced with similar scenarios. We find ourselves with acquaintances who do not share our same beliefs and we are faced with an interesting decision: do I stand out and not blend in? or do I blend in to not stand our like a sore thumb?

What do you do? Honestly.

I've caught myself many times jumping from imitating Christ to imitating the world in a matter of minutes, most notably, the minutes separating the closing of the Sabbath and the start of the week... you follow?

In college, I was Adventist on the Seventh Day instead of a Seventh Day Adventist, get it?

This is real talk. I would pretend to keep the Sabbath during the day and sweat my butt off at night dancing to Satan's music. Imma keep it real!

Even now, I've found myself pretending to be something during the week that I could not pretend to be in church during the Sabbath. . . feel me?

I've even had people I know from other churches tell me how hung over they are on Sabbath morning because on Friday night they were out drinking and partying-- to later do the same thing Saturday night. Once Sabbath evaporates.

Yeah, it's deep.

Who the heck are we imitating?

I'll give you a clue: it ain't God.

What's the point of calling ourselves--scratch that-- of calling myself a Christian if I'm not imitating Christ?

Last I checked, the term 'Christian' implies someone who follows Christ; aka, someone who imitates Christ; aka, someone who mirrors Christ; aka, someone who reflects Christ. . . to the world. . . all seven days...

"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children." Ephesians 5:1

Everything. That word means everything. In the way we think. In the way we talk. In the activities we do. Everything.

Check it.

Imagine looking at yourself in a mirror and your reflection is not doing what you are doing. That would freak me out and I'd scream like a little 3rd grade girl.

Likewise, if I call myself a Christian, then I must be true as Christ's reflection to the world. When the world looks at me, they must not see anything else but the Christ who lives in me.

I'm gonna let Ephesians 5 wrap it up

"Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper,
rise up from the dead,
and Christ will give you light.”

So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:2-20

Like me, if you've been imitating the wrong person, let us try to make an effort to imitate Christ. It's not going to be easy. No, not at all. But I am sure of one thing, what we'll gain will be greater than any obstacles we'll face. And victory--eternal victory--will taste ever so sweet. . .

Enjoy "I Want To Be Just Like You" by Philips, Craig and Dean

By the way, I did not smoke that blunt. Honestly.

Just in case you were still wondering. . .