Dim Reflections

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” We gaze into mirrors to see the reflection of the only face we cannot see directly – our own! Some are fascinated with their own reflection (Narcissus), some play the comparison game (Snow White’s evil queen), and some avoid self-reflection all together. As followers of Jesus we are called to be transformed into the image of Christ, but how, exactly, does that happen and what does it look like? Join us for week three of Love Letters where we discover the importance of reflecting on the person we want to become a reflection of.

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:1-10 (ESV)

Principle (know it):

I am becoming a reflection of the things upon which I reflect

Practices (do them):

Reflect on the answers to the following questions:

1. What consumes your thoughts? What occupies most of your attention?
2. How is that thing being reflected in you?
3. How much time are you spending reflecting on the truth of who you are as opposed to the lies the world and the enemy would have you believe?
4. Are you practicing being like Jesus with your family, at work, school, while you’re driving?

Try these practices this week:

1. Identify ways that you are reflecting on the wrong things and confess that to God, asking for His help in retraining your mind.
2. Spend your first minutes of every day reading God’s word
3. Set alarms throughout the day to remind you to take a moment and reflect on Jesus

Daily Readings:

Sunday: 1 John 1
Monday: 1 John 2
Tuesday: 1 John 3
Wednesday: 1 John 4
Thursday: 1 John 5
Friday: 2 John
Saturday: 3 John

Suggested Resources:

The Four Loves, C.S. Lewis
The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God, D.A. Carson
Crazy Love, Francis Chan