“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18)
Mirrors are the chief way that we see our reflection. House mirrors are generally plane mirrors, giving a reasonable approximation to what’s really there so that we can see ourselves and make sure we have put on make-up properly or have shaved closely enough or don’t have a dirty smudge on our cheeks. The mirrors in fun fairs are often far less accurate in their reflections, being convex or concave mirrors which distort the reflection.
We are ‘a letter from Christ’ (2 Cor 3:3), read by people whether we realise it or not, and as such it is a challenge to ensure that our reflection of Christ is accurate. Jesus mirrored or reflected the Father, only doing what He saw the Father doing, living in trust and obedience and with a dedication to doing the Father’s will. In this way, we can be men and women of action (without having to be in a film full of special effects and implausible plot lines!), for as James says,
“But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God—the free life!—even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.” (James 1:25, The Message)
If we wish to accurately reflect Christ and so be transformed into His likeness, we need to gaze on Him and learn from Him, for He is “gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt 11:29) In Him, we see faith and trust in God, a commitment to doing the Father’s will and a zeal and passion for truth that are perfectly in balance with a gentleness and kindness of spirit that we so often lack.
As we reflect on our spiritual growth and so clearly see the ways in which we do not accurately reflect the true nature of Christ, we are nonetheless reminded that the work is not complete and are encouraged to know that He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion (Phil 1:6). As the poster says: “Be patient with me; God’s not finished with me yet!”