The Face in the Mirror
Whoever invented the mirror anyway? I guess it's a good thing to use if you want to make sure there are no food goobers from that leftover spaghetti lunch hanging from your chin. But honestly, what do you say to yourself when you look in the mirror? "My shape is too small here and too big there"
I wonder if our ancestors caught their reflections in the pond and exclaimed, "Hey, you, I didn't know you looked so good!" I doubt it. I think the negative self-talk started way back in the garden when Eve took her first forbidden bite into the apple and spiraled into a naked world of guilt and shame. Ever since then and the time when the Venetians invented glass mirrors in Italy in 1200 BC, we have come face to face with the reality of our image and how we look in the mirror.

It isn't such a bad thing to look at ourselves in the mirror. Some people attach vanity to the attraction to wanting to see ourselves in a photo or a mirror. The good thing about coming face to face with our outward appearance is to access whether or not we are sending the clear message of who we are and what we represent. I don't want to be too extreme in emphasizing the importance of image through clothing and appearance. On the other hand, I don't think that God would want his feminine creation to hide shamefully behind black veils, oversized men's clothing, or to go to respectful places dirty and unkempt. God carefully created men and women to be in his image. Likewise, God's creation has a responsibility to carefully maintain a proper balance when it comes to beauty and fashion.

The Enemy's Lie
We have become a society that believes in self-image lies. We have become so unsatisfied with who we are and how we look in the mirror that jealousy and compulsive behaviors set in. We dress and diet so we can look like supermodels in magazines. At times, with hopeful attention and popularity, some girls even compromise their own dignities and unique character by playing the game of show and tell even when they know that some things are best kept secret. The tough contest of comparable differences and society's expectations can drive anyone nuts.
So, what to do? Live with our image faults until we give in to the surgical nip and tuck? Go on that crash diet of beet juice and tofu or, worse yet, quit eating altogether? I think not! These alternatives are not very wise choices and repeated poor choices can lead to low self-esteem and bad habits.
Bad habits can

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