“O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death”

The story is told of a complaining miserable Christian. As was his routine, he began to whine when asked the simple question, “How are you doing?” A wise, Spirit-filled Christian friend led the man to a nearby window. “Look out there,” he said. His depressed and depressing fellow Christian looked out on the busy street. “What do you see?” asked the wise man. “I see men, women, and little children,” replied the miserable man. Then the friend led the man to a mirror. “What do you see now?” “Now, I see myself,” the complainer answered. The wise man gave these wonderful words of truth – “Behold, in the window there is glass. But that same glass of the window when covered behind with silver becomes a mirror. And no sooner is the silver added that we fail to see others, but see only ourselves.”

Jesus taught us that the Christian life of joy looks on the needs of others and not the desires of self. The successful Christian life is not self-centered – it is Christ-centered. Many of us are miserable today because we look in a mirror of covetous and self-centeredness, which only reflects our wretched being. But the believer who bears the fruits of the Spirit, looks through the window of grace and mercy. Through this window, we clearly see the mission of God; the blessing of God; the will of God, and the joy of God. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!