Reflections of the Real Thing

“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  1 Cor. 13:12

Have you ever seen a baby trying to touch and kiss that baby in the mirror or the kitten or the puppy that keeps pouncing at that kitten/puppy in the mirror?  They even look behind the mirror trying to find their potential playmate?

They don’t understand that the mirror only shows a reflection of the real thing!

It’s so funny and cute watching them! 😁

That which the mirror reveals can be very beautiful, but its 2-dimensional, limited-area image cannot begin to compare with the amazing realities of what is reflected there!

For example, look at the clouds in the image above.

The vastness of the sky is reflected in the car windows which are then reflected in one little tiny side view mirror. 

The image is pretty, but it cannot possibly unveil the mystery, the glorious beauty, the immensity, or the reality of those clouds and of the sky in which they float!

In addition to these more concrete realities (if clouds can be considered concrete, … but the trees and the car behind us could!),  I wonder how often we think deeply on qualities we consider to be the real thing, that are really just reflections of something more wonderful than we can imagine?

For example:

• Love.  Where did it come from?

We see reflections of true love in parents sacrificing for their children, and occasionally in relationships and in friendships.

Jesus said,

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for a friend.” (John 15:13) 

And even His act of sacrificial love on the cross, which was the real thing, was also only part of God’s love that we will not be able to fully comprehend this side of eternity.  Faithful true love does exist in the presence of God.  We can experience little bits of it in the here and now.  But through Christ we have hope of one day experiencing it forever and on such a grand scale that we can’t even imagine it now!

• Peace.  What does real peace look like?

We see reflections of peace in nature. But there is an even greater peace that awaits us in the future that God is preparing for us!

I can’t wait!!!  

How about you?

• Joy.  Where can I find real and lasting joy?

Don’t we wish that we could hold on to those moments where our spirits soar and we feel like we’re on top of the world? But then things come crashing down, or we end up trudging through routine and trials, wishing there was something more.  God promises through the words of the Psalmist:

“You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”  Psalm 16:11

• Gentleness.  Why is it that we see so little gentleness and so much harshness?

We tell our toddler, “Gentle,” when introducing her to a pet or a new baby. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone treated one another gently!? Someday we will see amazing gentleness in the presence of God!

I think you get the idea!  We could continue with patience, mercy, graciousness, goodness, and more.

Those who have gone on before, that is, those who have come to God on His terms, are now experiencing the realities of each of these and other wonderful qualities in the presence of God!

It’s sad that we have to  leave that which we’ve known to be real before we can experience an even better reality!

But each of us who know Jesus as our personal Savior have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  As we daily surrender to Him in obedience, spending time renewing our minds through His Word and through prayer, He causes us to experience these qualities in a greater strength and larger measure than those who don’t have the Spirit of God.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God.”  1 Corinthians 2:12  NASB

We can be in His Presence even in this journey that takes place on this earth.  I’ve written about this here:

When God’s Presence is Evident

The Secret Place

Push buttons, Power Sources, and Prayer

As we experience more the reality of God’s love, joy, peace, gentleness, faithfulness, kindness, and so on,

let’s spread it around to others!

We weren’t meant to be storage bins!

Let’s be pitchers instead, and pour out of that which we have received!

“Freely you received, freely give.”  Matthew 10:8b  NASB