Mirror & Glass

We seek to please, to a point of fault. It is our fallen nature. We seek to please ourselves, our friends, parents, co workers, family, teachers... The list is endless. We are terrified of disappointment. We act as a mirror to attempt to show what we think we ought. We tweak the reflection to show the image desired... The right words, the classy look, the desired and trustworthy friend, the confident Christian, we try to be a do-all, know it all, have it all together type of person.

But this betrays our hearts. Our hearts are not created to be mirrors, but to be glass. Transparent. To the heart. But not to our heart, to the heart of the King of kings. Our lives are not supposed to be some fake, altered image. They are to be open and honest. Our lives ought to point to the cross of Christ, because it is by His mercy and love that we live and breathe. As our hearts become more in tune with His, the glass becomes more clear. It leads to truth and understanding. The image is not blurred or altered.

As we fall more in love with our Lord, we become more like Him. Loving people is no longer a duty, it is a delight and honor to the soul. Serving is no longer a hassle or inconvenience, it is a priority, a necessary response. As we see God's grace in our own lives, we are more capable to freely give it to others. When we realize that the Father of heaven is just as concerned with our own hearts as anyone else's, we can accept and see that He chooses to work not only through us, but in us as well. As we even begin to grasp His love, the story becomes clear. The subject was never us and the end is not salvation; God's glory is the heart of it all. The earth longs for its creator. The mountains cry out His splendor. The oceans declare His majesty. And we, His children, are created in His image to declare His name for His eternal glory and to extend His kingdom. There is nothing to alter or change. We are called and designed to reveal Him to the ends of the earth.

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” –Genesis 1:27

“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”” –Matthew 22:37-

“You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” –Psalm 73:24-26-

Justice

God’s gift of an advocate for us defines mercy. It is undeserved, but out of love is given freely. Our human condition in the flesh is innately broken and sinful. In our flesh, we are creatures of darkness. Our heavenly Father saw our wrecked hearts and the great separation between us. His love for us bridged the gap with the cross of Christ. The sacrifice of Jesus was not merited; it was given out of selfless and unconditional love. So after Jesus defeated sin and death, our souls are made pure. Jesus stands at the right hand of the Father not pleading for mercy, but rather demanding justice. Our Savior points to the cross in our place as He claims His own. We are eternally redeemed by a spotless ransom.

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“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’” –Abraham Kuyper-

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” -1 John 1:7-9-

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” -1 John 2:1-2-

“But He was pierced for our transgressions;
 He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” –Isaiah 53:5-

“knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” -1 Peter 1:18-19-

Healing

We all have pain. There is no person in the flesh free of burden or hurt. But we have hope; we have a healer. Jesus did not come to save the righteous, just as the healthy do not need a physician (Matthew 9:11-13). The Lord does not put a bandaid on a scab and leave it hoping it might heal. Nor does He rip off the scab prematurely and leave a scar. He binds our wounds and heals us completely (Isaiah 53:5). He makes us into a new creation as His ransomed child (2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:18-21). Our Healer takes His time, for His glory and to establish and fulfill His perfect Will. He allows hardships and pain that we might realize and grasp His might and power (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). We are not promised an easy or clear path, but we are always granted grace and love as believers in Christ (John 16:33). There is literally nothing that can separate us from His love and healing (Romans 8:31-39).

And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”  But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~Matthew 9:11-13~

“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed.” ~Isaiah 53:5~

 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” ~2 Corinthians 5:17~

 “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” ~1 Peter 1:18-21~

“So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” ~2 Corinthians 12:7-10~

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” ~John 16:33~

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~Romans 8:31-39~

Mosaics

I am a mosaic. I am thoughtfully and carefully crafted. There is none other exactly like me. I am made up of many pieces. Some are big and obvious, others are discrete and may go unnoticed. But my potter knows every piece. He sees the strong and beautiful pieces, and He sees the sharp, jagged, and dark pieces. He has placed each with care and a deliberate purpose. Although some pieces may not draw attention for beauty they are crucial to the whole. Every piece is necessary and important for the piece of art. Some may say, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, but I am confident to know that I am a masterpiece of the Most High, created in His image to reflect His nature. I am made of many pieces, so are you; none of us have the same two. We both portray different images and have our own purposes. Yet we are both pottery, created by the Master Craftsman. We are to show His love and the mystery of His story. I am not left on the shelf collecting dust forgotten; I am displayed with pride and joy. I am a beloved and treasured work of art.

“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created Him; male and female He created them.” –Genesis 1:27-

"But now, O LORD, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand." -Isaiah 64:8-

"For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” –Psalm 139:13-14-

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” –Ephesians 2:10-

Illumination

Genesis 1:3-5,14-19-

“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.  And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.  God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day… And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so.  And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.”

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Darkness is the absence of light. Light serves a purpose to illuminate and provide clarity. As I flew home from a trip to Hong Kong, I got to experience the separation of light and dark in a beautiful way. After leaving Hong Kong I had been exposed to a different kind of darkness where the majority of the population did not proclaim to be believers.  The numbers were intimidating to say the least. Only 5% of the population proclaims to be Christian. But the light that I saw in the city was blinding. The church is growing and expanding in such a beautiful and exciting way. This growth and spread gave me a renewed passion to spread the mystery of the gospel.

As the Lord would have it, we flew home through the night. Whenever I was awake on the plane I stared into the dark abyss that was the ocean out my window. Once we flew over land again we would occasionally fly over a city and see some twinkling lights below. Then I witnessed beauty in a new, indescribable way. I got to experience the sunrise from the air. The imagery gave a whole new meaning to beautiful. The sun rose on the left side of the plane. I stared in awe as the horizon softly lit to muted hues of pink, blue, and purple. It was warm and inviting. To my right, the window displayed only faint glimpses of light given off by the stars still glowing in the black night.  It was a stark contrast. To my left was a new beginning, a fresh start. To my right was the end of something extravagant. As I continued to look on, the light became more and more prominent. Eventually, there was no darkness left at all. There was not a space out any window that had any absence of light. The light had spread to the entire horizon.

This display of majesty would not have been possible first without darkness. Just as a flashlight serves no purpose in a well-lit place, a sunrise would not be magnificent without a dark night first. The Lord reminds me of my calling in such sweet ways. In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus speaks identity into His followers: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” We are the light that reflects Christ. Granted, our light looks like a flashlight to the sun when comparing our light to that of the King of Creation. Regardless, our purpose is to provide clarity and illuminate that which is without light. Light expels darkness. Both cannot be present at the same time, because darkness is the absence of light. So in the presence of light, darkness is overpowered.  We are called to reflect the love of our Savior.  C.S. Lewis describes the illumination of the gospel with the words: “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” As we reflect God’s character we pour forth truth.  As we shine the light of our King, we expel darkness.






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