A while ago my aunt gave my siblings and me suncatchers shaped like flowers that we stuck in our garden. All throughout the year they faithfully reflect the sun in their bright colours. Even on dreary days, they seem to shine because even the tiniest bit of light that reaches it is reflected.
Recently, as I was standing on the patio, looking out at the garden, a thought struck me. What do I reflect?
Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” (KJV). If we compare this to our picture above, God is the sun, and we are the suncatchers. Do we reflect Jesus?
How can we reflect Jesus?
Suncatchers are made to reflect the sun. In the same way, we humans are made to reflect Jesus. However, as obvious as it may seem, suncatchers can only reflect the sun when they are in the sun. If they are stuck in the deepest cellar, they can’t.
It is the same with us.
If we do not stand in God’s presence, if we haven’t turned our focus on Him, we cannot reflect Him. So, what does this look like practically?
1. Time
Spend time with Him. Every time you read your Bible or pray, you are receiving “sunlight”. Set time aside daily to be filled with His truth and to be made aware of His presence. I get it. We have a full schedule. But is that really a reasonable excuse?
If we look at Jesus as our prime example, we can see that He too took time out of His busy day to spend with the Father. Mark 1:35 tells us, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” Â
Besides, as Charles Stanley said, “We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength.”
2. Heart
Set your heart on God. Spending time with God without your heart being in the right place will not lead to you reflecting Christ’s light. Proverbs 23:26 says, “My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.” This is God’s call to us. He wants our hearts.
3. Desire
Desire to spend time with God and to get to know him better. Psalm 84:2 shows us David’s desire to do so. “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”
Maybe you’re thinking, well, but I don’t have this desire. The solution to that is simple: Pray. Ask God to give you a desire for His word. Trust me, He will. In James 1:5 we read, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him”. It is the same with a desire for God.
If we set our hearts and our desires on Jesus and are intentional about spending time with Him, we will mirror Him.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” – Matthew 5:14-16
