“The Man, Behind, The Man In The Mirror”

“The Man, Behind, The Man In The Mirror”
Brian Reid, August, 2007, Bear River East

How times a day do you look in the mirror?
What is it that you see?
We can see many things, if we really look.

We can see a child, a parent, a friend, a Christian. Perhaps, we see a loving, happy and successful person.

Or, perhaps, you see something different. Perhaps, you see someone who is sad, lonely, and maybe even a failure.

But, I urge you to look closer; look behind that person in the mirror. Have you ever seen or can you see “The Man, Behind, The Man In The Mirror.”

For some, see Jesus. For some, Christ is right behind them. For some, the earthly Father, Lord and God, has always been, and always will be there.

He guides, supports, and encourages. He lifts, steadies, and points the way. He smiles, nods, and frowns.

Yes, sometimes, Jesus, our great encourager, doesn’t like what we do. For some, the man behind the man in the mirror is not pleased with our action, thoughts, or deeds; but, He always is, and always will, be our biggest supporter.

But for some, there is no one standing behind the man in the mirror. Why?
Why isn’t God standing behind those people? Why? Because they have not allowed Him into their lives. They have not called upon His name; and they have not made room in their hearts, or their mirror for Him.

Let me tell you this; with Jesus behind us, we can accomplish anything, we set out to do – in His name. I ask you; “If Jesus is for us, who can be against us?

With Jesus behind us, we have great courage, we have confidence in ourselves, and ‘we will run and not grow weary.”

Jesus encourages us, pushes us (sometimes) beyond, what we feel we could ever achieve. He does this because He knows (full well), what we are truly capable of. For often, we do not know, we sell ourselves short, and we, ourselves, hinder our own progress.

Jesus does all this, simply because we call His name; and commit to living a life, dedicated to the one who is dedicated to us. Not only is Jesus behind us, but also, a great and vast Crowd of Witnesses surrounds us.

Those who have gone on ahead of us, those who, in former ages, times gone by, have run the race (for God), and have been victorious. “They have run the race, and finished well.”





Every person, who looks for, “The Man, Behind, The Man In The Mirror” they are surround by the other Christians who accepted the ‘call to action,’ and “laid aside every ‘weight and sin,’ which clings so closely.” For they have finished and finished well.

You too, can throw off everything that hinders; strip off every weight, which slows you down, and obstructs your progress. For those who surround us, are witnesses to the life of faith, which is found in Jesus Christ.

God has laid out a plan, a life-plan, a race, unique and individual, for us to run. The victory that the others have realized, stirs us to race and to win.

And, it is within us, this inspiring heritage, that we are encouraged to “keep our eyes on the goal, on the prize; to strain every nerve and muscle, to win…” to finish and finish well!

God gives us the freedom to run our race, as we will, as we see fit, and ‘only as we can.’ And, we all participate with limitations and handicaps. But, rest assured, God does not call the equipped, He equips those who He has called.

If you answer God’s call – in your life? If you understand and accept God’s plan of salvation? If you call upon Jesus to be your Lord and savior; then, God will provide for you, watch over, and grant to you, everything you will ever need.

Even though, at times, “we may pet, the sin, that dogs our feet,” with Christ’s help, we can put away such childish games.
There will be days, when everything we do, feels like a failure, but there will be days that we will “lay aside every hindering weight, and shun every distraction, and run the race, for God, with great perseverance.”

“The Man, Behind, The Man In The Mirror,” and the great Crowd of Witnesses, know the initial struggles of a New Christian, and those struggles that return to Mature Christians – that tax and chip away at our faith. Overcoming those struggles, are what makes the victory so sweet.

When we are faced with hardships and discouragements, it’s easy to loose sight of what’s really happening. For God uses our sins and sufferings, to purify us – as fire purifies metal. He allows us (sometimes) to suffer, and sometimes He chastens, and chastises us, as a means to perfect His children; a priesthood of believers, His soon to be saints.

For; “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future;” and suffering is the training ground for Christian maturity. The Christian life involves hard work, and is NOT the easy road to take. It requires us to give up, those things, that we love, that endanger our relationship with God; and those very things that hinder our progress.

Christian Salvation is not just a finished product or transaction; it is not just a past psychological experience; or a claimed prize. Christian Salvation IS a race to be run, a life to be lived, and work to be done.

God has set before us, a unique and personal race, a life-long journey – from which only we can achieve or accomplish success. We are enabled by Him, supported and encouraged by Him, and given the tools, skills and abilities, we need to stay the course, finish the race, and finish well.

Finishing the race, requires that we do not take our eyes off of Jesus; for He is the example and pattern, that everyone looks to. He has shown, through His life, death and resurrection, that eternal life, is the victory to running the race – which not many run.

But be advised and fore-warned, that taking your eyes off Jesus will cause you to loose your concentration in Him; who has redeemed us, and called us, and whom we are to honor and serve – with our lives, and with our running of the race.

“Jesus is our Christian Coach, in the race of life, and the pioneer and originator of our faith.”

Jesus is the author, and architect of our new life, and the one who will perfect, and finish, the good work that He has begun in us all.

Jesus endured the shameful and painful death upon the cross, to rid our lives of sin; and to show us what comes afterwards – eternal life in God.

For death is NOT the end; death is the means, by which the end is realized. That end is eternal life – which is the will of God in our lives.
Jesus Christ, who ran this race first, and foremost, to show us the way, to show us how it was done, to show us that it can be done; now sits at the right hand, of the throne of God. Jesus has already run His special race; He has already finished and finished well – in victory and glory.

For us, to finish, in that same manner, we must commit ourselves 110 %, to the race set before us. We are to consider what Christ did for us, keeping that in mind and keeping Him in sight – making Him the focus of our lives.

Jesus, “who endured, from sinners, such hostility, against Himself, so that you may NOT grow weary or faith hearted.”

For, “Those who hope in the Lord, will find new strength. They will fly (soar) high on wings, like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint.”

Jesus, who ran the ultimate race, before us, is the greatest example of patience in the face of opposition. He did NOT grow weary or fainthearted, so we are called upon to endure in our own struggles – and NOT drop out of the race of life.

Winning any race, requires purpose and discipline. The Christian life takes hard work, self-denial, and grueling preparation.

How much self-denial did Jesus suffer?
What grueling circumstances, did Jesus endure for us?
How much responsibility, did Jesus assume?

How much preparation are you prepared to take on?
Are you really capable of following through?
Are you accountability, for your actions?

As Christians, we are running toward our heavenly reward. To get there requires great purpose and discipline. Dedication to prayer, bible study and worship, are ways that we are equipped to run this race with vigor and stamina.

With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything that is harmful and distracting; while forsaking anything that may hinder our progress – thus keeping us from becoming effective Christians, and finishing our race well.

Because of our hope in Christ, we can let go of all that past guilt, associated with our sins of yesterday; and look forward to what God will help us to become and achieve.

What is in the past, is in the past, never to be realized or changed. But, right now, we can focus on our relationship with God, living in the here and now.

To live effectively (for God), we must keep our eyes on Jesus; for we will stumble, if we look away. But, remember the great Crowd of Witnesses, that surrounds us, and, Jesus, who encourages us.

For, this race, that we are all part of, requires us to always be looking at “The Man, Behind, The Man In The Mirror.”

Let’s pray;