REFLECTING JESUS
“More than knowledge. More than words. Do we mirror His heart?”
When you look up at the night sky and see the glow of the moon, you’re witnessing a beautiful truth: the moon has no light of its own. It simply reflects the light of the sun. It shines, not because of something it produces, but because of what it receives.
And so it is with us.
We weren’t created to produce our own brilliance or shine by our own strength. We were created to reflect the light of the Son—Jesus Christ. Our lives were designed to mirror His heart, His humility, His love. And when we walk with Him, abide in Him, and keep our eyes on Him, something beautiful begins to happen: His light shines through us.
That reflection is not best measured by how much Bible we can quote, or how well we defend doctrinal positions, or how skilled we are in ministry. All of those things have value, yes—but they are not the primary evidence that we’ve been with Jesus. The real question is this: do I look like Him? Do I reflect the One I claim to follow?
Paul put it this way in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
The longer we look at Him, the more we become like Him. But this isn’t a quick transformation. It’s not about image management or performance. It’s the slow, steady work of the Spirit within us—reshaping us from the inside out. And the evidence is seen in a life that looks more like Jesus.
What did Jesus look like? Among many things, His life was marked by humility. He didn’t walk with arrogance or entitlement. He stooped to serve, knelt to wash feet, and embraced the cross out of obedience to the Father and love for us. Philippians 2 reminds us that although Jesus was in very nature God, He “made Himself nothing,” taking on the nature of a servant.
That kind of humility—radical, sacrificial, unshakable—is the hallmark of those who reflect Him. When our hearts are more concerned with serving than being seen, when we give honor rather than seek it, when we lead from our knees instead of a pedestal—that’s when the world starts catching glimpses of Jesus through us.
It’s not just humility, though. Love is the glow that sets us apart. Jesus told His disciples in John 13:35,
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
It’s not by our preaching, not by our buildings or platforms, but by our love. Not just for the easy-to-love, but for the difficult, the broken, the forgotten. That kind of love—steady, forgiving, inclusive, and grace-filled—is what reflects Jesus most clearly in a dark and divided world.
Truth be told, there are moments I’ve reflected more of myself than Him. I’ve let pride speak louder than love. I’ve chosen performance over presence. I’ve defended doctrine while failing to display compassion. But the call of Christ is not to polish a reputation—it’s to bear His image. And the only way to do that is to stay close. The moon reflects the sun because it stays in its orbit. And we reflect Jesus as we stay in step with Him.
So here’s the question worth asking today: when people encounter you—do they encounter Him? Are your words, your reactions, your decisions shaped by the character of Christ? Do your children, your coworkers, your congregation see evidence of a heart that’s been in His presence?
We don’t reflect Jesus by trying harder. We reflect Him by surrendering deeper. By slowing down long enough to behold His glory, and allowing the Holy Spirit to change us.
Because the truth is—the moon still shines best in the dark.
A Prayer of Reflection
Dear Jesus, I want so much to live my life in a way that fully reflects You! More than just my words, I want my life to reflect your nature. So help me today. Teach me to walk with Your humility, to love with Your heart, and to serve others with the tenderness of Your hands. Let my life mirror Your compassion, Your patience, Your purity, and Your grace. Forgive me for the times I’ve tried to shine on my own or build a platform instead of carrying Your presence. Help me stay close enough to You that Your light becomes what others see in me. Change me from the inside out, Holy Spirit, until the world around me no longer just hears about Jesus—but sees Him. I pray this in Your name, Amen.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
Think on this…
The moon doesn’t generate light.
It simply reflects the light of the sun.
May we do the same!