Reflections
by Margaret Southey
Reflections on a still pool of water are a wonder of nature. I never cease to be fascinated by the amount of detail and colour that are reflected. If there’s the slightest breeze the image shimmers a little but remains intact.
Scripture, in telling us that ‘a man’s heart reflects the man’, is saying that our heart reflects who we are. It reflects our inner person. It’s from the core of our heart that we live out our life. Our decisions, emotions and ultimately our behaviour originate in our heart. This means that whatever is going on in our heart is in some way evident in our life.
This is a truth that we may not necessarily like. Attitudes, beliefs, resentments, dislikes, anger, fear, arrogance are a few examples of what is lodged in our heart and we don’t want people to know about them.
The world we live in is one that promotes deception. This is nothing new. Deception originated at the Fall when the serpent deceived Adam and Eve into believing that they wouldn’t die if they ate the forbidden fruit. Satan has been leading us on paths of deception ever since.
A common deception that we experience is when something is made to look better than it really is. Think of the images of beautiful women who don’t have a flaw in either their looks or their shapes. This isn’t reality but the work of an airbrush. What about the picture advertisements for hotel rooms that always look bigger and smarter in print than they are in reality or whose magnificent view can be seen only from one corner of the bathroom window?
When it comes to what’s going on in our heart we too can use deception. The person we want to portray is different from the inner reality. We can pretend to be calm when actually we’re very angry, to be kind when we’re harbouring unkind thoughts, to be forgiving when deep down there’s resentment, and to be happy when we’re actually sobbing inside.
What we often don’t realize is that people can see through the masks that we’re hiding behind. They may not see the fine details that are reflected in clear water, but they do see the outline of what’s in our hearts. They aren’t fooled. But we are!
So what are we to do? We must turn to our loving Father who wants to heal and restore us deep within. We must ask Him to show us what we’re trying to hide, whether it’s sin or hurt. We must ask Him to help us deal with it so we can be restored and reflect pure hearts. We want to be open, transparent and guileless so others see something of the reflection of Jesus in our lives
Prayer: Father I want an open heart, a heart that reflects a pure life committed and dedicated to You. Please show me the things that are staining my heart and also my life and help me to deal with them. Thank You that with You all things are possible.
Margaret Southey is a wife, mother and grandmother. She has had a career in education. Her passion is to understand the truth of God’s Word and to share it with others. She is part of the ministry and teaching team of Ellel, Africa.
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