The 40-Day Mirror Fast: Focusing Your Eyes on Jesus and Off Your Appearanceნიმუში

Remember the fairy tale Snow White, where the evil queen looks in the mirror to determine if she is the “fairest of them all?”

I’ve had that kind of relationship with my mirror, too. It talks back. It tells me who looks better than I do and what parts of my body need “fixing.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard, “You’re the fairest of them all.” My mirror wakes up in a lousy mood and speaks only of the negatives.

My mirror keeps me focused on me.

Though it’s odd to call it worship, I must admit that a bad experience with the mirror in the morning can keep my mind focused on my appearance all day long.

In Exodus 38:8, there’s an obscure mention of mirrors. As the tabernacle was constructed, the Israelite women donated their bronze mirrors to be melted and formed into a basin for the outer courts. Scholars say that those mirrors were likely prized possessions. Egyptian women carried their mirrors to check their appearance, and the Hebrew women learned to imitate them. Owning a bronze mirror was a status symbol, proving you had the wealth and privilege to maintain your beauty.

Those women who donated their mirrors served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The Bible doesn’t elaborate on what kind of a role this was. Maybe they were similar to greeters we’d have in our modern-day church congregations. Or, perhaps, they were guards, making sure no one entered without following the rituals. Either way, the melting of their mirrors feels symbolic. Could it have been a sacrificial act of laying down their desire for the beauty of this world to show devotion to the one true God? Their melted mirrors transformed from tools for self-focus into tools for worship.

When we abstain from our mirrors during this 40-day fast, we also have the opportunity to turn our hearts away from what culture has taught us to worship—beauty—and on to Jesus.

Instead of melting our mirrors today, let’s pray that God will melt our hearts so we can see past the vanities of this life and remember who is worthy of our worship.