During the civil war (1967-1970) I worked as a pharmacist in the Biafran Army, under a medical doctor who was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the hospital unit. My CO was heavily bearded. I was bearded, too, but I did not allow my beard to outgrow his, being my boss. That was how careful I was not to permit anything to cause misunderstanding between us.
However, despite my efforts to maintain a cordial relationship, a misunderstanding occurred between us and he had to order for my transfer to another hospital unit. Luckily for me, the CO of the new unit was my schoolmate, although much senior to me. We related very well and I worked cordially with him until the war ended.
I remember my former bearded CO for one thing. He liked using chewing stick to clean his teeth. Nothing is wrong with that, actually; but my concern was that after chewing the stick he allowed some white bits of the stick to rest on his heavy black beard. On two different occasions, I had to help him remove the particles. I did so because such a thing could happen to me also. Anybody with a beard is always careful when eating to avoid food particles or streak of soup falling on it.
Apparently, my boss was not used to using, mirror to check his face in the mornings before leaving the house. That was why I had to often step in to help him. He should have observed the error himself, if he had used a mirror.
The use of mirror is common, especially among females. Many of them carry small mirrors in their handbags to check their faces when they apply and reapply their cosmetics. Mirrors of various sizes are usually provided in restrooms, offices, cars, hotel rooms, shops and other public places for people to check and correct or adjust themselves, if necessary.
We rely on the mirror because it shows us our true state. Your mirror can never deceive you. It presents a replica of anything and gives you true reflection. You see yourself exactly as you are. If you look into the mirror and see that the knot of your tie is one- sided, it is truly one-sided. If your lipstick is heavy in the mirror, it is indeed heavy.
A mirror does not distort any image. Someone can tell you that you need a haircut but that is merely his opinion. Your own opinion should be determined by the mirror when you look into it.
The Bible describes the Word of God as a mirror. James 1:22-24 says, “Be ye doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.”
God’s mirror gives you a true reflection of yourself. The closer you are to the mirror, the clearer you see yourself. Psalm 119:9 asks a pertinent question and then provides the answer: “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.”
You use the divine mirror to examine and evaluate yourself. This mirror reflects the thoughts of your heart and the condition of your soul. Do not depend on what people tell you about your moral or spiritual state. People’s opinion can distort, enlarge or diminish what you are on the inside because people can only see your outward appearance. You need the Word of God to check and reveal your spiritual state.
No right-thinking person looks into the mirror, notices a speck on his face, and does not quickly remove it. But many receive the Word of God, without taking necessary actions. If you do so, you are ignoring valuable counsels that could preserve your life and secure your destiny. You must not be only a hearer but also a doer of God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Just as you use the mirror to check and correct your physical body, so also must you use the spiritual mirror to check the condition of your soul. The spiritual mirror is the only instrument that tells you exactly the type of person you are and your true state before God, regardless of what people think of you.
Most of us use the mirror to make sure we are looking good before getting out of the house in the morning. We should also daily endeavour to check our lives in God’s mirror, the Word of God. I believe we will greatly enhance our physical, as well as spiritual conditions, if we use the two mirrors every time.
