So now I am giving you a new commandment: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (John 13:34-35)
REFLECTIONS OF LOVE FROM GOD
When we look in a mirror, we see a mere reflection. I keep a small handheld mirror on my bathroom vanity. One day, as I glanced at it without picking it up, I saw a reflection of the handheld mirror in the larger wall mirror and another reflection within the reflection. That series of reflections in the mirror depicts how people reflect and project things that are not necessarily the truth. What’s reflected on the outside doesn’t always show what’s deep inside the heart.
Our wonderful, all-knowing God can see beyond what we reflect on the outside. As He says in Jeremiah 17:9, He sees the true condition of our hearts:
The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.
God, in His amazing grace, says He doesn’t look at the outside appearance. He looks at the heart, and He still loves us unconditionally:
The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)
God’s grace gives us what we don’t deserve. He offers forgiveness through Jesus’ suffering on the cross to wash us clean from the inside out! In His mercy, He does not give us what we deserve. That is a truth I cling to in my spiritual walk.
REFLECTIONS OF LOVE FROM GOD TO OTHERS
Most of the time, the outside reflection of a person is not the actual inside condition. So, what must we do? First, let’s not judge what we see on a person’s face or appearance. The mask of a smile may be hiding deep hurt within. Jesus said we must love one another as He has loved us. Period!
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples. (John 13:34-35)
How can I learn this true love from our Savior and become His disciple? Jesus pours His perfect love into our imperfect hearts and then commands us to love each other with the same love He has given us. I must pray daily: “Lord, have mercy and change me from the inside out!”
That morning reflection in the mirror stayed with me through the following days. As I began to ponder and discuss what I had seen with my (aspiring poet) son-in-law, I was inspired to write the following:
REFLECTIONS
We rejoice with those who rejoice
We mourn with those who mourn
But do we know what the face reflects is true
What is a reflection but a mere external image on the eyes
How can we see deeper still
Lord, open my understanding of the heart within
Show me how to see how You look upon Your child
A reflection reflects the outside but often deceives me
I see the reflection in the mirror – it’s only an image reflecting another…
Show me more Jesus
Show me the truth
To love as You love
To see as You see
Reflect Yourself in me
A PRAYER
We can be reflections of love because as God changes us, He fills us with His love. I pray you are encouraged to be a beautiful reflection of Jesus Himself to others around you.
MaryAnne Constantine
MaryAnne is a passionate follower of Jesus, wife of forty years to Arthur, and mom to four adult children. A CPA, she founded her own tax business, allowing her to work from home while raising kids. After caring for aging parents in their golden years, she began providing home care for older adults. She also enjoys leading women’s Bible study groups and speaking for retreats. In all she does, MaryAnne seeks to glorify her Lord and Savior and help others experience the joy of His presence!
Kindness Multiplied
As you think about the kindness you have received and how that made you feel, pass it on to others. Using these creative ideas to inspire kindness will multiply kindness all around you.
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