“There are only two people in the whole world who will tell you the truth about yourself” , a wise man said. ‘One is an enemy who’s lost his temper and the other is a friend who loves you very dearly.’ One speaks to hurt you, the other speaks to help you, but they are both saying what they think is the truth about you.

It’s amazing how little we know about ourselves, especially the way other people see us. A girl may look in the mirror and think, ‘O you beautiful thing’, and be wrong. Or the same girl may look in the mirror and say, ‘O I’m horrid’, and be equally wrong. And so may Dad on the beach in his swim trunks, holding in his tummy because he thinks the girls will think he’s 15 years younger, and Mum who looks in the mirror, sees a grey hair or two and lines on her face, arid wonders whether anyone loves her any more.

Now honestly, do you want to know the truth about yourself? Well who’s going to tell you? Someone who is too kind or someone who is too cruel?

Well believe it or not, one of the greatest functions of the Bible is to act like a mirror so that when you crawl, it shows you yourself and says, ‘Stand up, be a real human being’, and when you are overbearing it shows you how proud and arrogant you’ve become and it says, ‘Humble yourself. Who do you think you are?’

Today’s reading gives quite a revelation, or if you prefer it, a reflection. It’s a mirror in fact, and it always tells us the truth about ourselves.

Now read: James 1. 13 – 15 and 22 – 25.