"The Man in the Mirror"
Psalms 51:1-10; James 1:23-24
There comes a time in each and every one of our lives that we need to take a look at where we are and what we do. We need to examine ourselves and ask the question, “Am I doing my best to serve the Lord?” A lot of us when asking this question see things in ourselves that we wish we could change. We have feelings, thoughts, problems and attitudes that we know we need to change.
Everybody here should continue to take a look at themselves and realize that there is something in your life that is not the way you want it to be. We need to make a conscience effort to make a change in the way we walk, the way we talk, the way we think and the way we act. We need to make a change for the better. We need to take on the attitude that it is time for a new me. Time for me to give my all to God.
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know this morning it is time that we make a change. It is time that we make a change for the betterment of us all. If we are going to make things better for any of us, any type of change it must begin within us. It is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. We need to make sure that we are not the weakest link.
So many times we are able to see the tiny faults that others have, we see the mote in their eye, and focus on them so much that we miss our own giant faults or the beams in our own eyes. The bible says in Matthew 7:4-5, “Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brothers eye”.
Brothers and sisters to put it plain and simple, we must as the pop artist Michael Jackson so rightly put it in one of his songs, start with "the Man in the Mirror". We must begin with "the Man in the Mirror", the one that we see everyday, and ask him to change his ways.
Just think, brothers and sisters, if every one of us changed something about ourselves that we know is not a good trait, what a wonderful place this would be. If every one of us started with "the Man in the Mirror", we wouldn’t have time to find fault in one another. We wouldn’t have time to find fault in another because we will be to busy taking care of our own.
The thing about starting with "the Man in the Mirror" is that once we see what’s wrong we must understand that a change needs to be made. When we look in a mirror it reflects back a true image of what and who we are. Each morning as we prepare for work or what ever we are to do that day we generally don’t leave without looking in the mirror. The mirror enables us to see if there is anything out of place and gives us a chance to correct the problem.
Our text in James 1:23-24 tells us, "For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was". In other words you see your true reflection but forget what and who you are.
In our text this morning, Brother David knew that he had a problem. He knew that he needed to get fixed up. David knew that it took God to make the changes necessary for him to be what he once was. David had seen the error of his ways and had lost the joy that he once enjoyed being in the presence of the Lord. David had taken a close look at "the Man in the Mirror".
At this point in his life, David realized that something needed to change. Brothers and sisters all of us have come to a point in our lives that we realized we just couldn’t go on the way we had been before. As we look at our text this morning we see in verse one, David appeals at once to the mercy of God, even before he mentions his sins. Brothers and sisters, this is what we need to do.
God is a merciful God and is willing to forgive us. We need to ask God for mercy, before we even state what we have done, we need to ask for His mercy and forgiveness. David then asks God to wash him. Brothers and sisters a lot of us need a good washing. Not just a quick shower or bath, but a complete and thorough scrubbing. In order for us to change we need to be washed thoroughly.
David realized it was not enough to just blot out his sin, but he needed to be washed through and through. David then acknowledges his transgressions. Too many times we try to hide our bad traits. We won’t reveal them to our family and friends nor even to ourselves. But my brothers and sisters in order for us to be cleansed we must admit that we have a problem. We must admit not only to others but also to ourselves.
Even though half the times others already know, we just refuse to see it ourselves. It is just like a drug addict or alcoholic, before they can be helped they must admit they have a problem. David continues on and by the time he reaches the tenth verse David asks the Lord to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. This is the change David is looking for. David is asking for a new and better him.
David wants to be new and improved. David, at this point, wants to be more like Jesus. I tell you that should be our aim as well. We should all want to be just like Jesus. We should want to be more like him and less like us. We should want to fashion our every move after His. Because of this change David says he will teach others God’s ways. That is what we should be all about doing.
We should be about the business of teaching others God’s ways. Matthew 28: 19-20 tells us, "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world".
Too many times we get wrapped up in our ways that we forget about the ways of the One whom we serve. The best way to teach others is to set the example. A good example is better than any words that can be said. As the old saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words”. My brothers and my sisters, if we take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror", and truly decide to change what we see, we need to start by making a commitment to do God’s will.
Let us commit to love one another!
Let us commit to work harder for God!
Instead of waiting for somebody else to do something when something needs to be done, let us pick up the ball and run with!
Instead of waiting for someone to ask for help and watch them fall flat on their face, let us volunteer!
Instead of talking about one another running their name into the ground, let us talk to one another!
Instead of running one another down, let us pick each other up!
Instead of criticizing each other’s ideas, let us come up with some of our own!
Instead of finding fault with one another, let us start with "the Man in the Mirror"! Let us ask him to make a change! Let us ask him to be changed by God!
Brothers and sisters, God so loved us that he sent His only Son! The Son gave His life! His head was crowned with thorns! He was marched up a hill called Calvary! He was hung on an old rugged cross! Those who watched mocked and scorned him! He was speared in His side! The blood came streaming down! Brothers and sisters the S-U-N refused to shine as long as the S-O-N hung on the cross!
He was buried in a borrowed tomb! He stayed there all night Friday night! All day Saturday morning! All night Saturday night! But early Sunday morning, Jesus stepped out on resurrection ground, standing on the living square, proclaiming all power is in His hands! Not just some power! Not just black power! Not just white power! But wonder working power! Heart fixing power! Mind regulating power! Attitude changing power! Jesus got up with all power in His hands!
Jesus has the power to change "the Man in the Mirror"! Jesus has the power to make him a new creature! Jesus has to power to make us better than we were before! Brothers and sisters, Michael Jackson was right when he said in his song, “we’ve got to get it right while we have the time”! Tomorrow is not promised to us, yesterday is already gone! All we have is here and now!
If we start with "the Man in the Mirror", then we can start to make the world a better place one person at a time! If we start with "the Man in the Mirror", then we can begin to make Baptist Hill the church God wants it to be! If we start with "the Man in the Mirror", then we won’t have time to worrying about fixing somebody else! If we start with "the Man in the Mirror", and let God make the changes, we will come out a new creature! We will come out with a clean heart! We will come out with a renewed right spirit!
We will come out with restored joy! We will come out as pure gold! Brothers and sisters take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror" and see what changes need to be made with him! Take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror" and see what will make him better! Take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror" and ask God to take control! Take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror" and let him be led by God!
Take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror" and change him before trying to change anybody else! Take a good look at "the Man in the Mirror", and make him the best that he can be! Our homes, our jobs, our churches, our community and our world could be a better place if everybody would start with "the Man in the Mirror"!
