Mirror Image

As a Christian, I have no rights. If our world is going to be changed, all Christians must remember this. We have no rights because we are not citizens of this world. BUT…we do have expectations from God. God expects us to love by always seeking (and seeking to speak Truth). There is so much going around now and Christians (including myself) are really struggling to know what is right and how we show love to those in this world filled with people who so desperately need to experience real love. But, really, do Christians even understand love? I know I don’t. The more I seek to understand it, the more I realize how much I don’t. So here goes my latest understanding of things….

1 Cor 13: 4-8 declares that….

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.

The chapter goes on to say that what we see now is merely a reflection of what is to come. A reflection, a mirror image, is a counterfeit of reality. It looks almost exactly the same so we see a partial revelation. So often I have read all of this from the world’s idea of patience, kindness, envy, etc… and I have seen the mirror image as a perfect picture of what is to come. But a mirror image is not the real thing. It is a mere resemblance, the exact opposite in every way. The left is right and the right is left. So, in a mirror, right is wrong and left is right. But in real life, right is right and left is wrong! (just kidding..had to throw my political joke in there). Seriously though, I truly believe now that these verses precede the mirror image message in verse 12 to let us know that the love we seek apart from God is the exact opposite of the things mentioned in verses 4-8. I am open to correction if I am wrong about this. It means that love looks like what we see in the (mirror) image of God. But, in reality, we are only seeing what “looks in part” or is “in part” the truth.

When we are in the presence of God we no longer see a reflection of the Truth but the real deal! We don’t have to wait to physically die. But when we die spiritually, THAT is when we can look to God and see Love for the first time and the only time we can see Love as it is is when we look to God and seek understanding about all aspects of love. So, I’m writing a book about all of this. I have been pondering it for years and little by little, as society is changing and redefining the meaning of true love, I have been drawn to God to understand what He defines love to be.

There’s more to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 than what we see on the surface. In fact, I truly believe that many of us (including myself) have looked to define love based on what we understand as kindness, patience, etc… But there is so much more to it! Christians are to be different. We are not to tolerate sin, nor take part in it. We are called to love through example. But, being an example also means that we are to be set apart, a peculiar “nation” of people. We can love this world but not be a part of it. That begins by not constantly standing on our “rights” because we are not citizens here. We have no rights. We cannot force our rules on this world nor can we expect this world to abide by them. This is not love.

Love is to live in this world but according to God’s laws. It is not our job to change laws here. This world allows us to vote but really, if we never exercised that privilege but spent more time praying and less time forcing our standards on others, we would probably see better leaders elected into office. Oh the mistakes I am learning from. This is hard. But I promise I am preaching to the choir as I type this. My heart is changing. I want to see God’s image. I want to be a PROJECTION of His image, not a reflection.

I pray this post will change many hearts so that all believers take a look at how we are becoming so divided on issues of this world and what the Christian thing to do is….and we would become united in trusting God to do His will and be a projection, not a reflection of His image. To the world, we are a mirror. But in God’s Truth, this world is the mirror and His church is His image. Let us project His love…not reflect it.