I learned about mirrors in my physics class last semester. I learned about the properties of a mirror and that by the law of reflection, an image can be formed.
There’s a mirror in my bedroom. More than one in the bathroom. A mirror at the end of the hallway. And one next to the front door, above the coat hooks.
I use a mirror every day.
Some days, the mirror is my friend. I look into it and see something I am proud of. Whether it’s because my jeans fit right or my hair is falling into place, I like the image that I see.
Other days, not so much. I see a reflection in the mirror that isn’t tall enough, skinny enough, curvy enough, pretty enough. I dwell on what I see as flaws, and neglect to see the rest.
But it’s only a reflection… it isn’t the real me.
Have you ever thought about the fact that you can’t actually look at your own face? You can use a mirror to see your reflection, or take a picture and see the image it produces. But you can’t ever look at your own face. The image of myself that I am able to see is only through the perspective of the tools I use. It isn’t truth, it’s slightly distorted.
The truth in the word of God tells me that I am made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). If I looked into a mirror and saw the image of God, I’d be wasting my time focusing on flaws, because there isn’t any. When God made me, He made me to be like Him and to reflect His love.
Wait, what? He made me to be a reflection of His love???
That changes everything. If I am a reflection of His love, then why am I focusing on my outward appearance when I look in the mirror? God's love is perfect, and He sees me as perfect.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty doesn’t last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. – Proverbs 31:30
Mirrors may reflect my outward appearance, but that image is not the image that matters most. That image will change, as my human body changes, but God’s perfect love will not.
I may see a flaw, a broken piece of me, but He makes me beautiful. His love shines the brightest through our broken pieces, and He wants to use us to reflect His love to others. True beauty isn’t perfect hair, a curvy body, and long, lean legs. True beauty is a reflection of God’s love in each of us.
