“As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects man.” -Proverbs 27:19
“Of knowing ourselves. As the water is a looking-glass in which we may see our faces by reflection, so there are mirrors by which the heart of a man is discovered to a man, that is, to himself. Let a man examine his own conscience, his thoughts, affections, and intentions. Let him behold his natural face in the glass of the divine law (James 1:23), and he may discern what kind of man he is and what is his true character, which it will be of great use to every man rightly to know.”(Commentary by Matthew Henry)
The word reflection is a noun of action taken from the Latin word reflectere, which broken down is:“re” (back) + “flectere” (to bend). In other words, the word reflection means to bend back or bend backwards.
I know what it’s like to be busy. To a large degree we all do! So, I’m assuming that if you’re like me then the word reflection is only experienced if it’s prioritized in your life. Whether we want to admit it or not, the reality is that our seasons only get busier the older we get. I heard a wise man once say, “If you think you’re busy now [speaking to a young father and mother], then just wait until you’re grandparents–life only speeds up!” Now that my wife and I have three young daughters, I can only say Amen to that!
But what if we really did make reflecting a priority–that is to say, what if we took time to bend back our thoughts and minds upon things that really mattered? Moreover, what if we did it with a heart of gratitude? Do you think it could make a difference in our lives today? I do!
“It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.” – Luke 6:12
One of the most humbling aspects of Jesus’ life was that–while He literally carried the weight of the world on His shoulders–He prioritized time to commune with His Father. Christ, knowing His purpose on earth–to suffer and die in the place of His people to pay the price for all their sins–carved out time to spend alone with God. The gospel was manifested in Christ–the perfect sacrificial Lamb–so that we could have access to the Father–the perfect, loving, just, holy, and awesome Father!
Take some time this week to simply get away and reflect upon that gospel promise–through Christ we have access to the Father! O glorious redemption through Christ by faith! Pour your heart, soul, and mind out to the Father God–then reflect upon your reflection to your family, your co-workers, your boss, your employees, your church family, and finally (and most importantly) to Him.
— August 28, 2015