When you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Who do you see? Do you see God’s precious daughter with a heavenly calling, or do you see a stranger not meeting any expectations?
How you see yourself depends on the mirror you are looking into.
It might be the mirror of your parents, your spouse, your children, your friends, your job, your circumstances, who you think you are, or the Bible. The mirror you look into most often reflects the picture you see of yourself.
We allow people, our circumstances, and even our own ideas to determine how we value ourselves instead of the Mirror that defines everyone.
Stop for a moment and think about the following question: “Who am I?”
Society wants us to believe that our identity is not about who we are as a person, but it is all about what we do and what we own. The measures that the world uses to define us are fallible and the opposite of how God sees us.
Our identity does not only consist of who God created us to be, but also the potential of who God intended us to be through the heavenly calling He placed on every person’s life (Hebrews 3:1).
You cannot lose your identity in Christ, but you can become more or less aware of it. Your actions will not take away the worth God placed in you; they can only cause you to take your eyes off that truth and focus on your own shortcomings as you become less aware of who you are in Christ.
[Tweet “In spite of our mistakes, we remain valuable in God’s eyes. “]
If your value system is not built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, you are almost guaranteed to fail. You will continue to search for your true self until you find Him. Only then will you start to see a glimpse of who you truly are.
So the question is: “Who determines your worth?”
The picture people have of themselves is based on the type of mirror they look into. Where you spend your time and the things you value most will determine how you see yourself. Every person and situation leaves a mark on your soul. If you spend most of your time at work or with your family, these will most likely have a great impact on you. The reality, though, is that the picture they present is not necessarily the true picture of you.
This leads to the next question: “Does this picture show who you really are?”
Are you your job, your family, your circumstances, or are you part of a bigger picture – God’s picture? Your true identity? You cannot earn it and you cannot lose it. It is always there.
The starting point of our existence is found in God’s unconditional love which He proved to us through the perfect work of Jesus on the cross. The day we accept Jesus as our personal Savior, we receive a new identity—an identity created by God’s fatherly hand that is filled with blessings, promises, and endless possibilities. A truth given to us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 (MSG) is,“Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!”
Do you know what God sees when He looks at you?
Jesus.
Jesus took all your sins on the cross. He took all your shortcomings on Himself and gave you His right standing with God. His blood cleansed you from all sin and He gave you access to God’s holy presence. God looks at you through the perfect mirror of Jesus and sees the real you (1 John 4:17). Jesus remains unchanged (Hebrews 13:8); therefore, God’s picture of you remains the same. Nothing you do can scar the picture He has of you; it is eternal.
You do not need to search far for your true identity; you already have it.
Who you are in Christ is not the finishing post at the end of your journey but the starting point in your walk with God.
If you are aware of your identity in Christ, you are able to distinguish the truth from the enemy’s lies. For example, if someone says to you, “You will never be good enough or amount to anything,” you can choose whether you want to believe that lie or you can choose to stand on the truth in God’s Word—you are valuable, equipped with God’s wisdom, and you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). When you feel guilty about something you had done, you can choose to feel condemned or to believe that you are covered under the righteousness of God in Christ and in Him there is no condemnation (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 8:1).
It is your choice in which mirror you are going to look and which reflection you are going to believe.
May the Holy Spirit lead you and show you your reflection in the mirror of Christ.
For more on this topic, consider the You Already Enough resource and Meet the New You: A 21-Day Plan for Embracing Fresh Attitudes and Focused Habits for Real Life Change — don’t forget to grab the free discussion guide for mothers and daughters.
Image Credit: Jeanne Retief
