Several years ago, in planning a conference for pastor’s wives, the theme scripture verse chosen was II Corinthians 3:18. A few years later when I began writing study material for an overnight ladies retreat, that specific scripture verse seemed like a great starting place and I used the same theme of “Reflections of His Image.”
“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
My mother was in the hospital at the time and sitting with her gave some reading and thinking time. As I was eating supper one night at a restaurant on my way home and with my pen and paper in hand and rereading the main scripture verse, I noticed reflections in the window of people walking by me. I also realized that while I was able to see their reflections in the window, I was really drawn to lights outside the window.
It is amazing how God takes the simplest things to help us grab hold of His truths. The idea of reflections and lights in windows and mirrors kept stirring in my mind the rest of the trip home and probably through the night. Next day when I went to the hospital, I went by the gift shop to pick up a little surprise for mom. On the wall in the gift shop was a mirror, which when turned on, had lights and a reflection of a cross that continued as though it were a pathway. It totally illustrated what I had been putting on paper about reflections, the Light, and the mirror.
If you look in a mirror, you see a reflection and when you walk away from that, there is nothing on the mirror. Webster’s dictionary says the word reflection means: An instance of reflecting as in the return of light or sound waves from a surface; something produced by reflecting as an image given back by a reflecting surface or an effect produced by an influence.
II Corinthians 3:15-18 EV Paul explains it as he compares the children of Israel when the Law is being read by Moses those that are God’s have the Spirit in them that reveals the reflection of the Lord to those around. It is an action
“When the Law of Moses is read, the people of Israel have their minds covered over with a covering that is removed only for those who turn to the Lord. The Lord and the Spirit are one and the same, and the Lord’s Spirit sets us free. So, our faces are not covered. They show the bright glory of the Lord, as the Lord’s Spirit makes us more and more like our glorious Lord”.
As God’s children, we should be the glory of the image of Christ. When people see us, they should see that reflection of the Light of Christ in us. Not our outside beauty or lack thereof, but the Light of Christ flowing through us to them.
John used Light as a metaphor to explain that Christ is the Light to a Christian and a reflection of the Christ Light to others.
“This is the judgement, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19-20
“But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:10
“I have come as a light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me would not remain in darkness.” John 12:46
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the Light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” II Cor 4:3,4
The Light that is talked about in all of these verses is of course Christ, but the way in which the word is used gives us an idea of the action of the word.
- The Light shows direction, without the Light of Christ we will stumble in our journey
- The Light shows our behavior, our conduct. The difference should be obvious in a believer’s life.
- The Light is used to show the entrance to our revelation of the gospel of Christ.
- The Light is used to denote the Savior, as in salvation.
One of the greatest ways that you and I can be a reflection of His Light in us is through love. Jesus said,
“By this, all men will know that you are My disciples if you have love one for one another.” John 13:35
Is the Light in your life? Is your life reflecting the image of Christ? Has God shown his Light in your heart today to make you aware of something that you need to change?
Maybe it is a direction, maybe it is behavior or attitude. Maybe it is just simply recognizing that Christ Jesus is the Light and you bring honor and glory to Him as you shine and reflect all that you know about Christ in your own life: a reflection of His Image.