“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” – Isaiah 35:5
Have you ever been to a carnival, or an arcade, and spent time laughing at funhouse mirrors?
You look in … but who’s looking back? They sure don’t look familiar. Your head might grow gigantic … or shrink to the size of an orange. Your belly can expand to Santa Claus-like girth. Or your legs stretch like rubber … while your upper half contracts like a smashed soda can.
The mirrors are wavy or curved. They create exaggerated, comical distortions. It’s all in good fun. You walk away. Everything returns to normal.
Or does it? What’s “normal” anymore? Do we really know?
It’s easy to be confused. Society bombards us with distorted realities. The mechanisms are many.
Consider social media. Everyone is happy in those photos! No one ever looks sad or upset. They must have perfect lives. It’s easy to think, “Why don’t I?” or “What’s wrong with me?”
Workplaces can be challenging. You know that others are making more money than you. Some are even being promoted. Why not you? Again, what’s wrong with you?
Look at some of your neighbors – the perfect lawns, the shiny cars, the attractive spouses and kids. Why isn’t this you? What’s wrong with you?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing at all. You’re fine, being your authentic self and doing your best to live honestly and humbly. These others are all faux funhouse mirrors, distorting your worldview and cratering your confidence. Don’t let them!
Focus on the real, not the wrong
What’s right? What’s wrong? What’s real? What’s distortion?
Maybe the Apostle Paul can shed some light, from his second letter to the Corinthians: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (4:17-18).
In other words, the external forces of judgment are irrelevant. They’re pointless. Don’t let these false gods of foolishness measure you.
There’s only one judge to be concerned with – and He loves you for who you are.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
Think about the hypocrisy of social media. Does anyone post that their husband was arrested for drunken driving? Or their 16-year-old daughter is pregnant? Or that a family member is in jail for stealing a car, or robbing a convenience store, or worse?
Of course not! Social media is a false, shiny narrative. It’s complete distortion.
Work? The person who got the promotion seemed to have it made … until they got fired. Or left for another job. Maybe the grass really isn’t greener.
Oh, and your neighbors seemed to have it all together … until the foreclosure sign appeared. Or the police showed up after a loud screaming match. Guess the spotless lawn and nice vehicles were just … distortions.
Society distorts our perceptions at every turn. Ignore them. Instead, look through God’s eyes. Understand how He sees us … and his endless gift of accepting us how we are, where we are.
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5
You are God’s child. Nothing can take you away from Him! His unending love is real. Everything else is just funhouse mirrors.
(If you’re ready to embrace Christ, He’s ready for you. Visit C Suite for Christ to join in Christ-centered fellowship with other professionals. Submit a prayer request for a pressing need in your life. Participate in a virtual prayer session to ask God to be with those who have submitted requests. Follow C Suite for Christ on LinkedIn and Facebook. Questions? Contact Paul M. Neuberger at (414) 313-8338 or pneuberger@csuiteforchrist.com.)