Here's a poem by an unknown author. It's about a girl and I believe it's actually written to young girls, yet the truth in it could be applied to either sex and any age group.
The Girl in the Glass!!!
When you get what you want in your struggle for self,
And the world makes you queen for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that girl has to say.
For it isn't your father or mother or friends,
Whose judgment upon you must pass,
The girl whose verdict counts most in your life,
Is the one staring back from the glass.
You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum,
And think you're a wonderful gal,
But the girl in the glass says you're only a bum,
If you can't look her straight in the eye.
She's the one to please---never mind all the rest,
For she's with you clear to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous difficult test,
If the girl in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears,
If you've cheated the girl in the glass!!!
Author Unknown
I think the girl, or the man, in the glass is the conscience, yet there is something else to keep in mind. The human conscience can be spoiled by the false expectations of others. Just as there is true and false pride, there is also true and false guilt. When the world honors us, this can result in false pride, yet true pride is when we have succeeded at doing what we expect of ourselves. Yet our expectations need to be realistic. Likewise, false guilt is that which is placed on us by others, yet true guilt is when we have disappointed ourselves, yet again we need to have expectations that are realistic.
One way to have the correct level of both pride and guilt is to form a personal relationship with God, our Creator. He knows exactly for what purpose we were created, what it is that we are best suited for and what it is that we should strive to accomplish. I keep repeating some of the same Scripture verses because I feel that they are so key to life.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV), "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NIV), "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NIV), and "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV).
According to what God says, the only reason for guilt is to bring us to repentance and than we are forgiven and no longer need to judge ourselves for anything, for the Bible also says "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1 (KJV). What pleases God is not perfection, but humility and the willingness to admit our sins as well as our need for Him, for another thing the Bible says is "But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says; 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" James 4:6 (NIV).
Because of these verses, I feel that it's important to add to the ideas in this poem that the girl in the mirror and also the man in the mirror will be easier to please if he or she is connected with his or her Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ. To have within us a conscience that is truly pure and holy and contains true, whether than false pride and guilt, the conscience must be submitted to Christ, just as the Bible also says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2 (KJV).
And the world makes you queen for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself,
And see what that girl has to say.
For it isn't your father or mother or friends,
Whose judgment upon you must pass,
The girl whose verdict counts most in your life,
Is the one staring back from the glass.
You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum,
And think you're a wonderful gal,
But the girl in the glass says you're only a bum,
If you can't look her straight in the eye.
She's the one to please---never mind all the rest,
For she's with you clear to the end,
And you've passed your most dangerous difficult test,
If the girl in the glass is your friend.
You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years,
And get pats on the back as you pass,
But your final reward will be heartache and tears,
If you've cheated the girl in the glass!!!
Author Unknown
I think the girl, or the man, in the glass is the conscience, yet there is something else to keep in mind. The human conscience can be spoiled by the false expectations of others. Just as there is true and false pride, there is also true and false guilt. When the world honors us, this can result in false pride, yet true pride is when we have succeeded at doing what we expect of ourselves. Yet our expectations need to be realistic. Likewise, false guilt is that which is placed on us by others, yet true guilt is when we have disappointed ourselves, yet again we need to have expectations that are realistic.
One way to have the correct level of both pride and guilt is to form a personal relationship with God, our Creator. He knows exactly for what purpose we were created, what it is that we are best suited for and what it is that we should strive to accomplish. I keep repeating some of the same Scripture verses because I feel that they are so key to life.
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23 (NIV), "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NIV), "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this; While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 (NIV), and "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (NIV).
According to what God says, the only reason for guilt is to bring us to repentance and than we are forgiven and no longer need to judge ourselves for anything, for the Bible also says "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Romans 8:1 (KJV). What pleases God is not perfection, but humility and the willingness to admit our sins as well as our need for Him, for another thing the Bible says is "But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says; 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" James 4:6 (NIV).
Because of these verses, I feel that it's important to add to the ideas in this poem that the girl in the mirror and also the man in the mirror will be easier to please if he or she is connected with his or her Creator and His Son, Jesus Christ. To have within us a conscience that is truly pure and holy and contains true, whether than false pride and guilt, the conscience must be submitted to Christ, just as the Bible also says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2 (KJV).
8 comments:
everyone will see what you have done and praise you. the girl looking back at you in the mirror knows not only what you have done but how you did it and why you did it. there is the key to the poem.
You got it. :)
I love that poem, Lista! I wish all young people would read it, especially girls. There are far too many teenagers who are worshipping the wrong things, such as skinny supermodels and famous movie stars. The try to look like them and act like them. In doing so they let themselves down. They have the wrong role models! Jesus is indeed the one to look up to, but we have so many people today who don't even believe in Him. It's terrible the way our society is going! Actually, there are many adults who would benifit from it too.
It's a wonderful post!
Hi Gayle,
Actually someone brought this into the pregnancy center and what a neat context for that poem! Girls give in to the pressure all the time to have sex. They don't respect themselves enough to say no and they let themselves down in a very big way. Later, they give in to the pressure to have an abortion and in doing so, they let themselves down once again.
As another response to what Griper said; the girl, boy, woman or man in the glass knows how and why we've done everything that we've done and so does God. Yet being real and honest with ourselves and God should not just bring condemnation and guilt, but also growth and forgiveness. We need to be honest with ourselves, yet we also need to forgive ourselves.
I love this poem, my mother had this hanging on our wall at home when we were children, the words were something that our mother drove into us as chldren and still live with today. This has since the day I could read has been my favorite poem. As my mom always said you're the one that has to live with yourself, at the end of the day or shall I say whatever you did today you have to sleep with tonight. So true... I remember if I did something that was wrong to do or lied about something I would not be able to sleep..
My Mother had this hung our wall in our home... still is there. I love this poem and has been my favorite since I learned to read. This was something my Mom drove into us kids. I live by it, as my Mom use to say at the end of the day.. or shall I say whatever you did today you have to sleep with tonight. For me this was true if I had done soemthing that was wrong to do or lied about smething, I would not be able to sleep lol I remember waking my Mom up to tell her about something that I had dome that day that was worng of me, Still trying to figure this out but my mother said that this is an amazing quality to have... My Mother has since passed my sister has since taken over our childhood home, The Girl in The Glass holds the same spot.
The Frustrating thing about Walking away from a Blog for awhile is that Occasionally People Still do Write to it, yet I'm not there to Publish anything, or Moderate if I was to just leave it Open.
When I do get a Moment in which I Briefly do Think about my Blog, I am always Desiring to respond to those who have Written and to Thank them for Writing, yet I Wonder if they are still around.
Anyway, Thanks "Amazingly Wild" for Writing.
It is actually sort of Cool to Realize that a Blog is Still Read and can still Speak to the Hearts of those who Read it, even after it is no Longer Active. This Makes the Girl in my Glass Happy and aware that the Time that I Spent Blogging has been worth it.
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