“Magic Mirror, on the wall—who is the fairest one of all?” asked the Evil Queen in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The Mirror never lied, so the Queen was always confident in his answers and advice. But sometimes the truth hurts. As the mirror responded, “My Queen, you are the fairest here so true. But Snow White is a thousand times more lovely, fair and beautiful than you.” Despite the fact that the Magic Mirror was the Queen’s slave, he was no respecter of persons. He told the truth: the Queen was no longer the fairest.

Mirrors reveal reality—they show the naked truth. Mirrors uncover our imperfections. We cannot see our blemishes, scars, and wrinkles without them. Since the eyes cannot stretch out and glance backward (which would be a terrifying sight), looking at a glass reflection is the only way to see ourselves as we truly are. And for centuries, the mirror on the wall has shown that we are not the fairest of them all!

One mirror in particular reflects more than just the speckles on your face. This mirror exposes the specks and spots on your heart. It can be found on a pulpit or in a pew. You probably have one on your nightstand at home. It is made, not of glass, but of paper and ink bound between a leather or paperboard cover. It’s a mirror that isn’t gazed into nearly enough, but it is the one we need the most: the word of God, the Bible. 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers 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” (James 1:22-24). 

You see the truth about who you are when you look in the mirror of God’s word. The Bible always gives an accurate reflection because its Author never lies (Titus 1:2). It perfectly reveals our imperfections and never comes short of uncovering our shortcomings. It points out sinful blemishes that need healing, smudges that need cleaning, and other unsightly things that need correction. And it shows that only Christ is fairest of them all.

The Bible is not just a mirror for reflection, however. It is also a mirror for restoration. It points out flaws, but it also gives guidance for how to address them. Looking in the mirror but overlooking a massive pimple defeats the purpose of using the mirror in the first place. Looking in God’s word but ignoring what it says about the solution(s) for your sin is also a waste. Gaze at the Bible to have an accurate analysis of who you are. But gaze even deeper into its pages so you can pursue God’s remedies for your imperfections.

Look in the mirror of the word today for an honest look at who you really are. And look to God’s solutions, and ultimately God’s Son as the healing for your blemishes.

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Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it is be posted for reading here.