November 8
Things Aren’t What They Seem
Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. ––2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“Objects in the mirror are closer than they appear,” my grandma said, breaking the silence on our holiday road trip. She was in the front passenger seat, and my mom was driving. “Hmm, I hadn’t thought about it, but you are right. How’d you figure that out, Mom?” said my mom to hers. Grandma responded, “I don’t know, that’s just what it says here on the sideview mirror.” It was comic relief for an otherwise long, dull drive to a relative’s house. To this day I always think of my grandma when I see those words etched on a car’s side mirror.
Whether gauging distance in your sideview mirror or navigating the multiple decisions you are faced with each day, your perception will shape your reality. For example, take the “witnesses at a traffic accident” phenomena. Studies prove that if you show ten people a video clip of the same exact accident, all will have slightly different descriptions of what they saw. In other words, taking in a series of events and reporting them accurately is an iffy proposition, at best.
When we try to evaluate and make sense of the world, we need to realize that “objects in mirror are closer—or further—than they seem.” The hard truth is that we can’t trust our five senses or our mind, will, or emotions to make the best decisions. I’m not suggesting that those things are bad, just that they are not enough. Why? Paul says it well:
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. ––1 Corinthians 13:11-12
As Paul points out to the Corinthian church, now we can only see and know the world through our own distorted side-mirrors. Only when we die and enter Heaven will we see reality “face to face,” with no distractions or distortions. In the meantime, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us supernatural wisdom to make the right decisions and choose the right pathways. We must also remember that the darkness and chaos in this world is not what it seems. In the unseen realm, God is on His throne—though the world may seem out of control, He remains firmly in control.
What side-mirrors are you relying on to shape your reality? Are you relying more on your flesh and your soul than on the Holy Spirit’s ability to speak to your spirit? When life gets hectic and chaotic, rather than glancing in your side-mirrors, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. Despite what might be happening all around you, the reality is that His Kingdom is in control.
Father, help me remember that despite how dark things may get in life, the reality is that Your Kingdom will prevail, and I can trust you with every outcome.