Reflection or Representation?

This photo stood out to me when I saw it so I saved it because I could tell God wanted to tell me something. As I prayed I felt Him tell me that this is how many of us see our walk with Him. We feel we are to work to be a reflection of Him in the earth but God doesn’t want a reflection He wants representatives of His kingdom. He began to show me how a reflection is a poor copy of an image whose quality can be affected by many things. Consider the reflection of the tree in this image it can be affected by wind, by birds or fish that may move or break the surface of the water etc. What God is truly asking us to be is another tree that is anchored by our root systems to the kingdom of Heaven. “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.” ‭‭I John‬ ‭4:17‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ God is asking us to live His love boldly in the earth. He wants to establish us as mature trees that are thriving because we are connected to His love and all the blessings from it. Just like a tree takes nutrients from their roots so we are supposed to take the love and authority He has given us and to use the ongoing flow of the Holy Spirit to extend His love to those around us. Do you ever read about the apostles and marvel at the works they were able to do? Have then felt like somehow you fall short of that measure? That shortfall is simply not true. “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:43‬ ‭NKJV‬‬ The Bible says that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us! We have been given everything we need to stand as not just a reflection of Him but as an ambassador of His Kingdom, fully able to do all the works He calls us to. If we stay connected to Him we will not only thrive but we will breathe life to the environment around us.