Mirror Image
Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
(Matthew 5:48, NKJV)
I confess that I am fascinated any time I meet identical twins, whether they are known to me or not. It does not matter if they are total strangers, there is a desire to be able to differentiate them. Admittedly, it is not easy to see the difference as each presents a remarkable mirror image of the other. Knowing this fact, some identical twins especially when they are young, enjoy the confusion that others experience in the struggle to distinguish them correctly. The image of an individual is powerful as it leads to the identification of the person in the eyes of others. When we meet people who look like someone we know, it elicits a sense of warmth. Meeting one’s look-alike can also be a shocking experience as one looks into their own image being carried by another. Image is so important to all of us so much so that we spend time before the mirrors each day, to check on how we come across especially if we are going to an important place. We value the report of the mirror and once we are satisfied that we look ‘the part’, we confidently step out of the door.
The word of God tells us that human beings are a reflection of their creator, we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). God’s intention in creating man was to make His own image in His own likeness. In so doing, He also gave us His ability to rule the earth. Just as a mirror reflects what is placed before it, we are called to reflect God’s image as we are made in His likeness. Through our speech and actions, the content and attitudes of our hearts are revealed, just like a mirror replicates the image of what is in front of it. We might not think much about our speech but we use our tongues to bless the Lord and sadly, also to curse men who are the image of God (James 3:9). The human beings we see and interact with are the likeness of God and therefore we need to treat them with the same respect that we have for their creator. The Psalmist in a reflection of the greatness of God in creation, acknowledged in wonder the special place that man has in God so that he asked, who man is that God cared so much for him (Psalm 8:3-8). Beloved, we are not on earth just to pass by each day, but to show the greatness of the God whose image we carry. He has equipped us to reflect and imitate Him in our daily lives, and His expectation of us is that we are carriers of His attributes in all our engagements. When we behave differently from His character, we fail to meet the purpose for which He created us. We like the image of ourselves and thankfully, as His image, God loves us deeply too. It is for this reason that He calls us to be holy just as He is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). Brethren, our reference verse sums it well, that we are to be like our Father, whose likeness we are. We cannot be anything else but who we truly are, the image of our Father, perfect and holy in all things. His character must be what we cultivate and portray in our lives.
Thoughts:
What are you reflecting?
Which attributes of God are you struggling with? What will you do about it?