Let your light shine!
Actions speak louder than words.
Stunningly clear reflection
Have you ever sat by a lake on a calm day and seen the reflection in the water? It’s almost as if the water becomes a mirror, perfectly reflecting the world around it. My favorite place of meditation happens to be on the bank of a lake. And because I go there frequently, I see the same water numerous times under many different weather conditions. As I was sitting there one day, I was particularly impressed by how peaceful and calm the water was. The reflection in the water was stunningly clear. I could see every detail. As I was admiring the view, I realized I was seeing a picture of how we, as Christians, should be reflecting our Creator.
The people around us should be able to look at our lives and see a reflection of Jesus Christ. “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT)
White caps on the water.
Other times the weather is not so beautiful and the wind whips the water into white-capped waves. The waves remove all chances of the water reflecting anything. When our actions are not lining up with our words, it is like white caps on the waves that completely remove the reflections. While it is very important that we talk about our faith, (see Come on up and testify!), people will not be able to hear our words if our actions are telling them something different. The old adage, “I cannot hear what you are saying for seeing what you are doing,” rings true very loudly in this circumstance.
Now I know many of you are already thinking that you are not capable of living in a way that will reflect Jesus – you think you are too bad, or you have made too many mistakes, or the standard is just too high. Well, let me assure you that none of us is capable within ourself. But thankfully, Jesus has never asked us to do anything without giving us the power and the help we need to accomplish it. He tells us in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Clear signal
So He has already told us that apart from Him, we cannot do anything. The only way to be a reflection of Him is by abiding in Him. When we are abiding in Him and obeying His commands, we naturally reflect Him to the world around us. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done before – it only matters what you are doing now. At the last supper with His disciples, before His crucifixion, Jesus said to them, “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 (NLT)
Again we see it is our actions that prove to the world that we belong to Jesus. When we treat each other as Jesus instructed, it sends a very clear signal to those around us that we know Him. This is something that people can see by observing our lives. If we are not loving those around us, our actions also proclaim that very clearly.
Reflect His image.
The Apostle John continues the thought in 1 John 2:4-5: If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. (NLT) So once again we are told that we show we love God – we reflect His image to the world around us. Saying we know Him isn’t enough – our actions must confirm it.
To be able to live in the peace and joy of the Lord, we must be single-minded in pursuing Him. It is imperative that our words proclaim our allegiance to our Lord. But it is also critical that our lives line up with our words, so that our actions – which speak louder than our words – are confirming the message our mouths are speaking.
We become more like Him.
To become a clear reflection of our God, all that is necessary is to spend time in His presence. When we spend time with Him, abiding in Him, we become like Him. The more time we spend with Him, the more like Him we become. Living in a way to reflect His image is not a burden. It isn’t like work. It isn’t a matter of struggling to obey a list of rules. When we are in love with someone, we long to spend time with that person. In the same way, when we are in love with Jesus, we long to spend time with Him. And the more time we spend with Him, the more natural it is to reflect Him to the world around us.
That is the place where our lives are most complete, most fulfilled, and the most full of joy. A place where we are filled with peace and free from fear. A place that I like to call the Blessing Road.
See you out there! 🙂
GUARD RAIL: Make sure that your actions line up with your words.
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.
Matthew 5:16