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

Who Is Your Mirror? Who Told You Your Body Was Wrong?

When we hear that voice from the mirror, it's not often our own. Many times, it's the voice of criticism we've heard from a family member. It's a jingle from a weight loss or beauty commercial that may remind us that our bodies are unacceptable if we can "pinch an inch." You heard the message that your body was wrong somewhere along the line. But you need to know that the voice coming from your mirror (or your head) is not the voice of the Lord.

God is not disappointed in your body.

When you stare in that mirror and hear the chiding that "you're not good enough" or that "no one will love you if you look like that," this is not the voice of the God who loves you.

Yes, God's Holy Spirit does convict us of sin. But his conviction always leads to repentance and a closer relationship with him. God's conviction doesn't shame us. It's the enemy's condemnation that does that. God is looking at your heart, not the size of your thighs or the smoothness of your skin.

But that devil is a liar. He takes a handful of negative comments made about our bodies and puts them on a non-stop loop in our brains. The more we hear them, the more we believe them.

As you fast from your mirror, take some time today to think about the voices you've heard when you stare at that glass.

What are the most common lines you hear? Are those the voice of the Lord, or are they shaming and condemning messages? Pause and think of who or where you first heard those messages, and ask God to help you hear his voice louder than this condemnation.

The world has many opinions about how we should look and what our "ideal image" should be, but we'll never meet all of its demands. Even if we could, we still wouldn't be safe because culture's ideals constantly change.

Make your prayer today that this mirror fast would help you remove the liar's voice so you can hear the voice of truth.