Mirror the Maker

When you look at a lake or any clear body of water you can usually see a reflection of whatever surrounds it.   The image is recognizable but never as brilliant or precise as the original.     

As children of God we are called to reflect His character in much the same way.   Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”  Ephesians 5:1

If we are called to reflect God’s character then we must first KNOW His character.   I mean, honestly, how can you imitate someone you don’t even know that well? Now with that said, that raises an important question.  Why does God call us to imitate Him and to reflect His image?  Scripture gives us several reasons, but one clearly comes to mind.. So that the world can see Jesus through us. 

How can you imitate someone you don’t even know that well?

Paul puts it this way:

2 Corinthians 5:20

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

As ambassadors, our lives become a visible expression of God’s heart. When God says, “Be like Me,” He is inviting us into a life that points others back to Him. This theme runs throughout the Bible. The following are some of the clearest places where God explicitly calls His people to mirror His heart, His ways, and His character:

·      Leviticus 11:44–45

Be holy just as I am holy.

·      John 13:34–35

Love one another just as I have loved you.

·      Luke 6:36

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

·      Ephesians 4:32

Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

·      Matthew 5:48

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.(Here “perfect” = complete, whole, mature in love)

·      1 John 3:7

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous.

·      1 John 3:3

And everyone who has this hope set on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

These passages show us that the Christian life isn’t about self-improvement  or striving to be “better people”  It isn’t a self-help endeavor.   It’s about God reshaping us to bear His likeness, to reflect His heart.  It is God Himself forming His likeness, His heart, His ways, and His character within us. 

To imitate God means we simply must surrender to His shaping—we allow His holiness, mercy, love, forgiveness, righteousness, and purity take root so deeply in us that that when others look at our lives, they catch a glimpse of Him.

So, just like the surface of a still lake reflects the beauty of the landscape around it, our lives are meant to reflect the beauty of the God who surrounds, sustains, and indwells us. The water doesn’t generate its own image—it simply mirrors what it receives. In the same way, we don’t produce Christlike character by our own effort; we reflect what we take in as we come to know God more deeply.

The clearer our view of Him, the clearer His likeness becomes in us.

THINK ABOUT IT

If your life is like a lake, what “disturbances” keep the surface from reflecting Him clearly?

How well do you truly know the God you’re called to imitate?