Being Still and Reflecting Jesus

Part of chronic work-ism (or in Christian circles, works-ism) is that we believe it's our effort and accomplishments that make us valuable and loved.  We want to make sure it all looks good, and that others will agree with us that this is obviously the way life is supposed to look, and we measure our success and our own actual worth by whether life goes according to our master plan.  But there's always something that doesn't line up with our rules for the world, so there goes the game. I confess that I'm one of those worker bees who tries to make it all come out, ignoring the lessons of the last 50-plus years when hard work didn't make it come out at all.

Once again I am brought up short by scripture, and helped by The Amazing Joanne to see wisdom.  The other evening, she was drawn by the voice of the Holy Spirit to look at the lights reflected across a quiet river.  The still waters made the lights shine almost as well from the water's surface as they did from the air above.  Except where there was a drain of some kind, pouring water into the river and roiling the surface -- in that spot, one could hardly tell there were lights above at all.  The turbulence completely ruined the reflection. "See there," the Lord said to her, "how the peaceful water best reflects the light?  That's how you best reflect me!"

Jesus said we are to be the light of the world in Matthew 5:14-16, but that we should be careful to let our light shine, not to hide it.  Our light as Christ-followers, of course, is from him, not from our own innards.  If our lives are turbulent through striving, impatience or any other form of trying to force the issue, the light we reflect won't be true to the Lord's light in us. 


In James 1:19-21, the apostle says that our strivings, anger, impatience and the sin in our lives don't help the cause of God:  "Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires" is his core thought in verse 20.

Psalm 46 starts off talking about the Lord being our refuge, no matter how troubled life is.  Verse 10 is the climax:  “Be still, and know that I am God!  I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”  The Hebrew translated "be still" is referring to a peace that is beyond silence; it is a surrender to the will of God.  So for us to reflect Jesus' light, like Joanne saw the river water reflect the lights at night, wouldn't it make sense that we too should be 'still' and surrendered?  Then our lives would more truly reflect the light of Christ, "throughout the world."  

Instead of trying harder, how about trying less?