Day 13: Reflecting God’s light.

Let your light shine before others so that your deeds glorify your Father that’s in heaven.

It’s ironic that this is the topic I’m reflecting on today, as it’s where I find myself struggling the most with. Not so much with doing good deeds, but about examining my heart to ensure my actions are genuine and not just for show. I’ve been feeling grieved lately because I don’t have to look far to find parts of myself that fail to reflect His light.

I understand that I won’t achieve perfection in this lifetime, but I continually strive to reflect the light that God has placed in my heart, yet I still fall short. Which is the truest form of irony. To say that I fall short suggests I am close but slightly missed the mark, whereas, even on my best days, I know I’ve missed it by an immeasurable distance.

Reflecting His light goes beyond doing good deeds; its living in a way that embodies the change that is only possible with the Holy Spirit. Without His Spirit we only reflect darkness, & with His Spirit, we can only reflect His light. Not because of our deeds, but because our darkness cannot overcome His light.

It’s like entering a pitch-dark room with the lights off. The moment you switch on the light, it illuminates the entire space. No matter how deep the darkness is, the light will always repel it.

When I studied the Hebrew word for light, I found that it means more than illumination, it means to bring order to something chaotic.

When I reflected on that, I found myself in love with the meaning of what light meant. Bringing order to something chaotic…because truthfully its exactly what He did to us. Brought order to a life that was riddled with chaos.

When Jesus compares His followers to light (like in Matthew 5:14-16) He compared our light to a city set on a hill. Clearly seen & unable to be hidden. Shining the brightest in darkness. Why? Because our deeds and actions showcase the order He has brought to our lives. That’s why, when we reflect His light, we are only revealing the reality of how dark our lives are without Him. In any case, that’s why glory belongs to Him alone, because we can never be the light itself, only a reflection of it.