Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Reflections in the Mirror

Look into a mirror. What do you see? You, of course!

Have someone else look at you. What do they see ? They see you, that much is obvious. But that's not what I'm getting at. Who do they really see? Do they see Christ?

As Christian young ladies, we should reflect our King - Jesus Christ. Does our clothing, hairstyle, jewelry reflect God's glory? Do our actions, words and attitudes reflect God's heart? In a culture where most young ladies trash themselves both inwardly and outwardly, we are called to be set apart for Christ and to be a witness to them. That doesn't mean conforming to their ways in order to reach them.

If it were possible for us to step outside ourselves and catch a glimpse for another perspective, what message would you get? Would you be attracted to Christ or distracted by the glitz and glamor of the latest styles and trends?

It's not just the outward dress, it's the inward person of the heart. Have we spent as much time "preparing" our heart to meet the public as we have our physical appearance? It's easy to leave the house in a hurry, with a bad attitude. Perhaps we're more interested in getting our errands done before traffic gets heavy or the stores start to get crowded. I too have fallen guilty of this before! While it seem ridiculous at times, I have ardently tried to leave the house with a cheerful attitude and countenance because the way I look will reflect on who I am. Sure I can say I'm a Christian, but my attitude may say something quite the opposite.

In the same way, we reflect Christ we are also a reflection of our earthly fathers. Have you ever said something disrespectful or had a sour attitude towards your own father? Regret usually follows, but unlike computers there is no handy "undo" button to just delete the wrong until we confess and seek reconciliation.

We are daughters of Christ - we are His ambassadors to the world! Just like we bear the family name, whether it be Smith, Jones or Braun (yes, even me!), we also bear Christ's name - and we should care deeply about how we reflect our Heavenly Father and our earthly father.

What is your reflection in the mirror?

On another note, Regenerate Our Culture has come out with Issue 10 - with a theme on writing. There are several articles on this topic, including an interview by yours truly which I had fun putting together. But aside from that, make sure you check out the entire issue!