“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

What do you see when you look upon yourself? Do you see what God sees? Do you believe that you have worth in God’s eyes? A while ago I took this picture of a magnificent sunset. While the sunset was beautiful, what made the image come alive to me was how vibrant and clear the reflection of the sunset is in the water.

When you look at the image, which is more beautiful, the sky or the water?

Now, I happened to have driven by this lake earlier in the day. The water held no beauty on its own. As typical for most North Carolina lakes, the water was an ugly muddy brown. But now, the water was allowing itself to reflect the sky in all its brilliance. It was, in a manner of speaking, taking on the image of the sky.

When God sees us, He sees us for exactly who we are. He sees the ugliness. He sees the muddy waters. He sees all our imperfections. There is no hiding them from God. However, God knows who we can become because He created us in His image. We were made to be a reflection of God. When God created humanity, scriptures proclaim that we were created uniquely in God’s image. Let’s take the picture of the sunset on the lake again. If we are the lake and God is the sky, that would mean that when God created us, we beheld the brilliant sunset and reflected it perfectly. It was only after we turned away from God that we no longer reflected the sunset. We had become muddy water.

The miracle of redemption is that, through Christ, God saw worth in us. While we were still sinners – muddy, ugly, and unreflecting water – God gave us a chance to shine again. Like the lake reflecting the sunset, God is making us into someone who reflects His image. For all who belong to Christ have become a new person. The old is dead.

So, if God sees enough worth in the ugly and muddy waters to give it the opportunity to reflect His glory, how much more worth do you think you have in His eyes? Believe that you are worthy to reflect His image, because He says you are. Let Christ change your heart and renew your mind. The outpouring of a changed heart and a renewed mind will be the actions of love – which, are the reflection upon the water.