Kingdom Keys: The "Looking Glass"

[Donna Ghanney]

Kingdom Keys: The “Looking Glass”
Often times, you can get off track on your journey of achieving maximum achievement in the Kingdom of God when you fail to stop using the “Looking Glass”. This happens when you allow the “Looking Glass Self” to prevail as a means to self-identify your purpose and destiny.

If you are allowing family, friends, co-workers, and yourself to determine who you are, where you are going, and how you are going to get there; you are still experiencing the social psychological concept “Looking Glass Self”. At this level you are very concerned about how you are perceived by others instead of how you are perceived by God. The “Looking Glass Self” concept will lead you to being in bondage to others, instead of being a bond servant of Jesus Christ.

Unconsciously you are allowing others to give you self-identity, because in everything you do you are relying on them to shape who you are. You may be dependent on everyone else’s opinion before you leave your home, dress yourself, or do anything in life. You may feel that if you do not appear the way they expect you to you will be a failure or incompetent in many ways. The “Looking Glass Self” conceptualized thinking will cause you to reflect on many mirrors in which will hold you in the soulish realm. It will lead you to a web of confusion, tradition, and deceptive living. This type of thinking can cause you to adapt to precepts and laws of man (religion) instead of the Word of God.

This is contrary to the life of the Body of Christ and what God has willed for your life.

____________________________________________________________________
LOOKING GLASS SELF CONCEPT EXAMPLE:
YOUR FRIEND SAYS YOU AM BEAUTIFUL IN RED = YOU WILL WEAR RED EVERYTIME I VISIT MY FRIEND
YOUR BOSS SAYS YOU AM A FAILURE = YOUR PRODUCTION WILL DECREASE
YOUR TEACHER SAYS YOU WILL NEVER PASS = YOU’RE DESIRE TO FINISH DECREASES
____________________________________________________________________

On the other hand if you are using the “Looking Glass” of Jesus Christ, you are experiencing and learning the mysteries of the Kingdom of God that make you into a spiritual being. You have now been regenerated and possess the nature of Christ. He dwells in you. You are born again and desire to be with your Creator. You’re every thought and passion of life takes into consideration His Word written in the Holy Bible for your life. You are walking in the IMAGE and LIKENESS of Christ. Everything you do and think about is based on the principles and concepts of the Kingdom of God. You will begin to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of your spirit, soul and body and how by His grace you can be an achiever and NEVER a loser.

____________________________________________________________________
“LOOKING GLASS” CONCEPT EXAMPLE
YOUR FRIEND SAYS YOU AM BEAUTIFUL IN RED = YOU ASK GOD, WHAT YOU WILL WEAR
YOUR BOSS SAYS YOU AM A FAILURE = YOUR PRODUCTION WILL INCREASE
YOUR TEACHER SAYS YOU WILL NEVER PASS = YOU’RE DESIRE TO FINISH INCREASES
____________________________________________________________________
As a Christian you are no longer subject to the thoughts that individual have about you, but you are more concerned about what Jesus Christ discerns of you. You are taking time to see, feel, hear, smell, and taste in His “Looking Glass”.