Christian Object Lesson - God’s Word – a Mirror for Reflection

Christian Object Lesson -
God’s Word – a Mirror for
Reflection
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James tells us God’s Word is like a mirror (James 1:22-25).
Mirrors allow us to see ourselves and to make changes
based upon what we see. Unfortunately, many youth not
only have a hard time seeing themselves in Scripture, but
they also see themselves in a lot of other mirrors which may
distort the image they see when they are already struggling
to discover who they really are.

What to do
Discussion
1. Ask: What are the characteristics of a mirror?
2. You can divide the youth into groups and have a competition between
teams to make the biggest list of characteristics and uses of mirrors, or
simply ask the question and write all the answers on a whiteboard or
newsprint/ flipcharts.
3. Then read James 1:22-25 and ask the youth to highlight ways the Bible is
like a mirror using the list they have already created.

Take it to the Next Level
Make it Spiritual
Here are some thoughts of characteristics and uses of a
mirror applied….
• We look into the mirror to see how we look and make
changes – No one looks into a mirror, sees something he
needs to change and then just forgets about it.

• The better the mirror, the better the reflection. A poor
quality mirror often introduces distortions. We must be
aware of looking at ourselves through the eyes of others,
what we have, or titles and positions, but must instead see
ourselves as God sees us. Look into the perfect Word
instead of the polluted world.

• Reflective – God’s Word reflects his personality, reflects his
attributes, attitudes, and desires. It also shows us how God
sees us.
• Introspective – Through reading God’s Word, we see Him and
we see ourselves and the areas of our lives where we don’t
measure up to God’s standards
• The mirror isn’t the light, but only reflects it – We are not to
worship God’s word, but the God that it reveals to us. God’s
Word reveals the Light to us: a. Christ the light of the world; b.
personal enlightenment

• Shows the outside, not the inside – In contrast, God’s
Word and commandments are not for the purpose of
making external changes, but internal changes – heart
changes.
• Reflects the sun (son) or light – God’s Word reflects
Christ the Son

• Able to see yourself as others do – Through God’s Word, we
discover what God sees in us and what others also see in us
• If we focus too much we often lose sight of the overall picture
– We need to look at the Bible as a whole, not pulling
scriptures out of context, and not getting caught up in petty
issues, but keeping a balanced Christian life

• Can get dirty/ collect dust if not used – Many of our Bibles collect dust
throughout the week and our knowledge of God’s Word is forgotten
• A magnifying mirror is clear in the center and fuzzy and distorted on
the edges. – We must have our lives centered upon God’s word. When
we are away from it others won’t see us as clear reflections of Christ,
but they will get a fuzzy image of Christianity.

• Looking in carnival mirrors give you a distorted image of yourself.
– Unless we are looking into the true mirror, God’s Word, we will
get a distorted image of ourselves. Also beware of preachers who
make you laugh, but never really give you God’s Word or have
application to their sermons. They may just be carnival mirror
preachers!

• A mirror can break – Although a mirror can break, God’s
word will stand forever.
• The only thing you usually get from a shattered mirror is a
cut hand! – Often, when we have shattered families, or other
aspects of our lives are shattered, we get wounded because
we use these things as our mirrors instead of God’s Word.

• You can’t see much in a small mirror – In the same way, you
can’t see yourself or God very much in a few Bible verses, but
the more of God’s Word you look into, the better you see
yourself and God
• Usually when we look in the mirror, we only see the obvious
things – Often when we read God’s word the things that are
most obvious are what we realize. Later when we read these
again, other things will be made evident to us by the Holy Spirit.

• There are different types of mirrors for different purposes
(Periscopes, Rearview mirrors, etc.) - Different verses in God’s
word reveal mistakes that are already behind us, and those that
are possible in the future
• Obstacles in the way of a mirror block out parts of the picture –
Obstacles in our lives prevent us from see the whole picture as
God sees it.

• The further you get from a mirror the less detail you see, the
closer you get, the more detail you see. – This is the same
effect as getting close or farther from God’s Word.
• Quick glances into the mirror don’t help much. – To really see
what needs work, you must spend time in God’s word, focusing
and concentrating. A quick reading through the word rarely
does us much good.

• Sometimes it is necessary to look from a different angle to get a
better perspective. It is the same with God’s Word. Try
approaching scripture from a variety of vantage points.
• No one ever looks in a mirror just to see the glass – We look into
the Bible not to see the Bible, but to see God and ourselves
Have more ideas to share, please email me as I’d love to hear what
your groups come up with! Share in the comments.

Make it Practical
What are some of the things we learn about ourselves
from the Bible?
Make it Personal
How should we respond based on the reflection we
see?

Scripture
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do
what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what
it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after
looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he
looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard,
but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” – James 1:22-25

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Christian Object Lesson - God’s Word – a Mirror for Reflection

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Christian Object Lesson - God’s Word – a Mirror for Reflection