Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Last year I celebrated two big birthdays, the 75th year since my physical birth, and 50 years since my spiritual birth. When I look in the mirror it is hard to recognize the reflected image looking back at me. There are days that I can still remember what the younger me looked like in the mirror. As I age and don’t pay attention to details as I used to, I have to remind myself to look in the mirror before I leave the house to make sure all is in order—like no food on my face or mascara smudged under my eyes. There was a time when I was younger that I probably looked in the mirror too much, with very critical eyes, never quite satisfied with what I saw, inside or outside.
When you look in a mirror, what do you see? Skin aging faster than your skincare products can retard? Dark circles under your eyes from lack of sleep? Hair graying before you are ready to accept it? A crooked nose that you inherited from your dad? Uneven ears that cause your glasses to sit askew on your nose? A body laden with too many extra pounds? When you take a look, do you analyze each physical fault and walk away with a critical attitude? Or perhaps you still see your sinful nature, dwelling on what you used to be, having a hard time getting beyond your past.
What do you think the Father sees when He looks at you? What if we looked in the mirror and thanked God for how He formed and created our physical being and praised Him for the new nature within us? Dear reader, He wants us to see His beautiful created work in us—what He sees with His eyes! Here are the truths from the Bible that declare how God sees you:
• You are a child of God, adopted into His family; 1 John:12, 1 John 3:1
• You are loved; John 15:9
• You are chosen; Ephesians 1:4
• You are forgiven; Ephesians 1:7
• You are free; Galatians 5:1
• You are accepted; Romans 15:7
• You are a friend of Jesus; John 15:15
• You are blessed with every spiritual blessing; Ephesians 1:3
• You have peace and hope with God, and access to God; Romans 5: 1-2
• You are a new creation, a new person; 2 Corinthians 5:17
• You are a temple of the Holy Spirit; 1 Corinthians 6:19
• You have been bought with a great price; 1 Corinthians 6:20
• You are an ambassador for Christ; 2 Corinthians 5: 20
• You are immortal and will live forever; 1 Corinthians 15:53
• You are one with Christ; Galatians 2:20
• You are complete in Christ; Colossians 2:10
That is who you are! God’s Word says, “The Lord has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4 says that our new nature is called “divine” and all that it offers is available to us. Now, look in the mirror and what do you see? A reflection of the Christ, who lives in you!
After passing those two milestones last year, I can truly say that when I look in the mirror, not only am I thankful for the living Christ that I see, I am also grateful for every wrinkle, crease, and scar that I see, for I am ALIVE, and He is still working out His divine plan for my life. Thank you, Jesus, for each and every birthday!
Thank you, Lord, for reminding us from your Word how very precious we are to You. Help us to see ourselves the way You see us, a new creation and a beautiful child of Yours. May we reflect Your presence in our lives each day. For Your sake we pray. Amen.
~painting by Morgan Weistling
