Losing Self to Find the Lord
Exodus 38:8: "He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of the meeting."
The whole assembly of the Israelites came together for the construction of the tabernacle. Gifts were given abundantly, talents were offered in building and sewing, and now there is the gift of ministering. What does this gift look like? Scripture offers no real explanation here, but we can use our holy imagination. It may be that these women provided meals, water, and encouraging words, or that they interceded for those involved in the construction. As they served, these women used their gifts to minister to the Lord and to their community because they wanted to share in what was happening with the tabernacle.
Not only did they minister, but they freely offered their bronze mirrors to build the basin. These mirrors were likely to be some of the plunder taken from the land of Egypt. Bronze mirrors held great value. Bronze was pure and sturdy and worth a great deal of money in those days. Clearly, mirrors also held value to women then as they do today. In the mirror, the women could see their reflections and understand their beauty. Contributing these mirrors for the basin was no small sacrifice, yet it is one we are all called to make.
These women made the decision to turn away from preoccupation with self to focus on the Lord. While many women spend considerable amounts of time gazing at their image, seeking to create as much earthly beauty as feasible, these women chose to put their gaze on the Lord and on what he was doing. Their time was not given to selfish ambitions but to ministering to those at the gate of the tabernacle. Outward beauty could no longer define them; a relationship to the Lord and his people defined them.
When Jesus taught his disciples about the cost of following him, he told them that they must deny self, pick up their crosses, and then follow him (Matthew 16:24). Self-focus would have no place in the kingdom of heaven! In Mathew 10, Jesus states, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). Throughout the New Testament, there is the theme of dying to self to live unto Christ. Though these women never heard these words from Jesus, they intuitively knew that God's kingdom, this tent of meeting, was of far greater value than any beauty found within themselves. They wanted to be part of that kingdom and were willing to turn from themselves to look unto the Lord and to offer themselves to serve in his ministry.
What are you looking at these days - yourself, your achievements, your goals, and your appearance, or the beauty of the Lord, the will of the Lord, and how you can offer yourself unto him? The Lord would call you to offer your "bronze mirror" to him, to turn from self and to look to him. May we lose ourselves in order to find Jesus Christ. Then may we discover who he made us to be, and what he made us to do. We can devote ourselves fully to him. Beloved, discover life - the abundant life of Christ!
Reflection:
Do you need to surrender your mirrors unto the Lord so that he can lift your gaze off self and onto him?
The whole assembly of the Israelites came together for the construction of the tabernacle. Gifts were given abundantly, talents were offered in building and sewing, and now there is the gift of ministering. What does this gift look like? Scripture offers no real explanation here, but we can use our holy imagination. It may be that these women provided meals, water, and encouraging words, or that they interceded for those involved in the construction. As they served, these women used their gifts to minister to the Lord and to their community because they wanted to share in what was happening with the tabernacle.
Not only did they minister, but they freely offered their bronze mirrors to build the basin. These mirrors were likely to be some of the plunder taken from the land of Egypt. Bronze mirrors held great value. Bronze was pure and sturdy and worth a great deal of money in those days. Clearly, mirrors also held value to women then as they do today. In the mirror, the women could see their reflections and understand their beauty. Contributing these mirrors for the basin was no small sacrifice, yet it is one we are all called to make.
These women made the decision to turn away from preoccupation with self to focus on the Lord. While many women spend considerable amounts of time gazing at their image, seeking to create as much earthly beauty as feasible, these women chose to put their gaze on the Lord and on what he was doing. Their time was not given to selfish ambitions but to ministering to those at the gate of the tabernacle. Outward beauty could no longer define them; a relationship to the Lord and his people defined them.
When Jesus taught his disciples about the cost of following him, he told them that they must deny self, pick up their crosses, and then follow him (Matthew 16:24). Self-focus would have no place in the kingdom of heaven! In Mathew 10, Jesus states, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39). Throughout the New Testament, there is the theme of dying to self to live unto Christ. Though these women never heard these words from Jesus, they intuitively knew that God's kingdom, this tent of meeting, was of far greater value than any beauty found within themselves. They wanted to be part of that kingdom and were willing to turn from themselves to look unto the Lord and to offer themselves to serve in his ministry.
What are you looking at these days - yourself, your achievements, your goals, and your appearance, or the beauty of the Lord, the will of the Lord, and how you can offer yourself unto him? The Lord would call you to offer your "bronze mirror" to him, to turn from self and to look to him. May we lose ourselves in order to find Jesus Christ. Then may we discover who he made us to be, and what he made us to do. We can devote ourselves fully to him. Beloved, discover life - the abundant life of Christ!
Reflection:
Do you need to surrender your mirrors unto the Lord so that he can lift your gaze off self and onto him?
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