Reflections hold an interesting concept. When we look into a mirror, we aren’t seeing a clone, twin, or photocopy of ourselves. Instead, we see a reflection; light waves being bounced back to us from the mirror. The image is composed of light particles transmitting colors and textures, forming our appearance.
When we look into a pond, a piece of metal, or any other reflective surface, we see ourselves, but usually with less clarity. Some mirrors are even designed to either magnify or reduce our flaws, distorting the image reflected back to us, creating a false sense of reality.
Reflections give us a glimpse of who we are and they are seen in much more than a mirror or glass-like surface. Reflections can be seen in the world around us, in those who make up our inner circle, even our families have such an impactful influence on who we are and what we therefore reflect through our lives.
The painful moment comes when we stare into the face of one of these reflections and we see our own flawed character looking back at us. It can be a mother, father, brother, spouse, best friend, or even a child. It has been said that the characteristics that we don’t like about someone else are usually the same ones that we exhibit. This realization causes a conflict within us as our reflection becomes distorted.
We measure everything by the law of love which has been given to us in the Word of God. Yet we fall short of this law simply for the mere fact that we are human, prone to make mistakes, prone to miss the mark, and in obvious need of a Savior. That’s why Jesus came. And though we are redeemed by the blood of Christ, new creatures in Him, and completely renewed in our spirits, we may not always see the reflection of God’s character coming from our lives.
We are a product of our environment and there are certain things we can’t escape. We can’t change the family we were born into, the culture we’re a part of, or the experiences that we have already had here on this earth. We can change however, the way that we respond to these surroundings and experiences with the help of the Holy Spirit. Therefore it is possible to reflect our identity as children of God.
It takes a process to change our reflection because it requires us to change our perspective. Romans 12:2 (MEV) says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.” The more that we renew our mind to God’s Word, the more our reflection will align itself with who God designed us to be. As a result, we begin to emit the image of a presence worth reflecting, as God Himself is reflected through our lives.
