How long did you keep your New Year"s resolutions? Did you make any at all? This is not a post about new year"s resolutions or some call to action which ends with a gym membership that isn"t used. What I hope to explore is the purpose of reflection, not to live in the past, but to learn from and help direct our future. Reflection is important but should not dominate our daily thoughts. Are you planning the future dependent on the past?

Yesterday, our Associate Pastor David Hollis, of Jackson FUMC, reminded us of the importance of reflection. I wanted to share a few observations from the mirrors you use everyday, and how they relate to your life.

1. Mirrors are a tool - But a tool for what? They are a tool to help you see behind you. If you are moving forward, why would you need to look behind you? It is crucial to know who is coming up behind you, so you know what you need to do to avoid getting into an accident. In life, we need to reflect on our past to understand what we did right and what we can improve on in the year to come. Danger can be more easily identified looking backward as we have all heard, "You have 20/20 vision looking through the rear view mirror."

2. Mirrors are smaller - Than the windows to which the are mounted. They are smaller for a reason. They should not be the main focus, but rather the larger windows should be. Have you ever met anyone who seems to be stuck in the past? Every conversation involves how great yesterday was, or they are consumed by a bad situation or decision made earlier in life. You do not like to be around people like this... so don"t be like them. Learn from your past, but don"t live in it.

3. Mirrors reflect - Not project. The only value of the rear view mirror is to show you what is behind you right now. As you are looking to the future, why do so many look to a tool made to reflect as they plan the future. Mirrors only reflect the present. To plan for the future, you need to glance to the past and reflect.