Have you ever noticed people’s reactions when they are unexpectedly confronted with their own reflection in a mirror or a storefront window? Tiny corrections of posture, expression, or clothing seem to be called for to align the image with the person’s self-perception: ”Oh, no! Is that what I REALLY look like?”
Lent comes to us as a metaphorical mirror, stopping us short in the bleak midwinter, with any New Year’s resolutions we might have made far away in the rearview mirror. Lent invites us to assess the image that confronts us— but that’s not all! The forty days leading up to Easter call us to stop and remember the death and resurrection of Jesus, the efficacy of God’s forgiveness, and the miracle of the Holy Spirit’s production of actual righteousness in the sometimes arid soil of our hearts.
We observe Lent with full knowledge that Easter is coming. We are not without hope—not because of self-help or improvement strategies, but because of what God has already done.
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We observe Lent with full knowledge that Easter is coming, and no matter how alarming the image that we see reflected back to us, we are not without hope—not because of self-help or improvement strategies, but because of what God has already done.
Isaiah 53:5 makes it plain:
“He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes, we are healed.”
He was wounded for the very same shortcomings, moral failures, and foolishness you see reflected back to you in the mirror of repentance. And because of his wounding, there is grace for all of it. Still, as uncomfortable as it may be, we have to take the time to look in the mirror and see our great need.
Here’s the obstacle to that long, prayerful gaze: We’re busy! White space on the calendar (and in our brains!) is scarce. People depend on us. We have deadlines to meet and goals to accomplish!
Even so, don’t waste the mirror moment Lent provides.
Stop and remember the depth of your need.
Take stock of the gap between what you know and what you actually put into practice.
Then give thanks for God’s provision of grace.
Give thanks for the mirror of Lent.
Holding You in the Light,
Stop and remember the depth of your need. Take stock of the gap between what you know and what you actually put into practice. Then give thanks for God’s provision of grace. Give thanks for the mirror of #Lent.
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P.S. Looking for resources to prepare your heart for Lent? I’m sharing six RIGHT HERE!
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On the third Thursday of every month, I send a newsletter with biblical encouragement straight to my subscribers’ email inboxes. Frequently, I share free resources, and the newsletter is where everything lands first. I’m committed to the truth that women can become confident followers of God and students of his Word, and it’s my goal to help you along that path.
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A New Bible Study Plan on YouVersion
I’ve created a 13-part study that gives you an overview of The Epistle to the Hebrews, a letter to a congregation of struggling Jewish Christians written by an unknown author sometime before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. We will be landing on a few verses in each chapter with the goal of big-picture familiarity, as opposed to mastery of this fascinating and complex book. CLICK HERE to go directly to the plan on the YouVersion site or find it on the app.
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Living Our Days 
Beautiful message. Have a blessed Sunday! 🙂
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And you also!
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A wonderful reminder, Michele. Yes, Lent is a time to be remember the sad reality of our sinfulness and the necessity of Jesus’ painful sacrifice in our place. But it is also a time to express gratitude for God’s mercy of forgiveness and grace of heaven that fills us with glorious hope!
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It saddens me when I sense that people are observing Lent without Easter—or Easter without Lent!
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We do need both.
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“Give thanks for the mirror of Lent.” I am so grateful that what I see is not what I will always be. Thankful for His grace which changes me!
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I look forward to the honesty of quiet reflection this season calls us to.
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What a good analogy–when we see ourselves in the mirror, we hasten to straighten or fix whatever is awry. How we should do that when we look into the mirror of God’s Word as well.
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I don’t want to be like that scriptural example of the person who beholds her face in a mirror and then walks away unchanged and unchallenged.
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for some reason, Lent has passed me by this year. i can blame it on having covid, writing a lot online, unsettling family upheavals, all kinds of stuff. but i know He understands and knows my weary heart and knows i love Him more than ever. all will be well.
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Aren’t we funny creatures? Events on the church calendar can take on a life of their own if we let them, becoming an obstacle to seeing Christ or a reason for guilt if we don’t “do them.”
So glad you are resting in the truth that He “knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust.” Can’t think of a better way to go through Lent.
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yeah. feeling dusty. but hopeful. God is good.
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Michele, I so agree that we need time to reflect and turn to God. We need to gaze into that mirror of God’s Word and see where we need some spiritual cleaning up. But I’ve also been thinking about the “white space” you mentioned. I know I have far too little of it in my life and need to adjust to make room for more.
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Ohhhh… it’s another example of my tendency to write where the struggle lives. We should pray for each other!
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