CHECK YOUR REFLECTION

Last week, while I was on a prayer walk, I came across a bird that was injured and couldn't fly. As an animal lover, I was saddened by the little guy's hopping around and I figured he probably would not survive long. I was bummed to think that the one thing that makes a bird special, the main thing that makes a bird a bird, is its ability to fly. And this little bird just didn't have it anymore. He had basically been reduced to a slow moving, two legged rodent.

A couple of days later, I was thinking about the bird again, and also considering what is it that makes us (mankind) special. What makes us different from anything else in creation? The answer: our capacity, or ability to reflect God's glory. That is something that only we can do. The earth is filled with God's creation. And there are many things that are beautiful. But nothing can reflect God's glory like you and I can. We are the beings that were created in God's image and we have the greatest capacity to reflect God's glory to this hurting world. We are the ones with the ability to make this earth a better place and share God's glory with it, but too often we voluntarily give up our ability "to fly." We let our own agendas, goals, and opinions get in the way. We allow sin to tarnish our surface preventing us from reflecting God's glory. How much more heartbreaking is this, that men and women choose to not reflect the glory of God, which is our greatest ability?

May you spread your wings and soar. May you brightly shine the glory of God to the dark world around you. May you reach your capacity.