Your Reflection

Have you ever taken a moment and looked at yourself in the mirror? Not just at your appearance, but looked deeper. Sometimes when I look in the mirror I don't see the reflection portrayed that I feel inside. I often feel that people don't see the real me when they look at me. There is so much more hidden beneath my appearance that others fail to see.

When I look at the person I am today I often overlook that I'm still the same little girl inside that I was. It is bittersweet to look at the ways I have grown, while also seeing how the years following my childhood have brought heartaches and struggling. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the days when I wasn't constantly burdened and worrying about so many things. Worrying what people think, if I'm good enough, talented enough, making enough, the list goes on.

Maybe you feel like your reflection doesn't match the person you are inside. Maybe you feel like others look only at your outer appearance and don't take the time to get to know the real you. Maybe you feel like others only give you a short time limit to express yourself and if you aren't good enough, in that time period, they move on.

Even though my reflection is not as pretty as most girls I want my reflection to be of something more than just beauty. I want my reflection to show God's love. I want my reflection to be an example for God and not focused on myself. I want people to remember me not by my beauty and charm, but by my character, integrity and love for God.

Choose to have a reflection that will showcase more than just temporal things. When you look at yourself in the mirror, ask yourself what do others see in you? What do you see? What does God see? Are you proud of who you are? Your characteristics? Your fruits?

Often when I look in the mirror I like to ask myself those questions and analyze myself to make sure I'm focused on my inner-self, integrity and my life example and I'm not only just looking at my outer appearance. We get so caught up in how we look that we fail to realize just how important our inner self is. If we only spent as much time on our hearts as we do with our outer appearance.

So the next time you look in the mirror, look at yourself. Not just your appearance, but the whole you. Be someone that you are proud of. Don't get caught up in what others think. Just be you. Choose to use your life as a reflection of the One who gave you life.

Matthew 5:16

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

I Samuel 16:7

Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."