This morning I was driving west at sunrise, and the sky in front of me was absolutely beautiful. It was layered with color—blue at the bottom, purple above it, and pink stretching across the top. As I drove, my eyes were drawn to the horizon, until I realized that the truest beauty was actually behind me. The most vibrant and brilliant colors were in the east, where the sun was rising. What I was seeing in front of me was a reflection of that greater light.
That realization led me to think about how creation itself is a reflection of a Creator far more beautiful than anything we can see. And then I felt drawn even deeper—to the truth that we, too, are meant to be reflections of our Creator. At times, we reflect God beautifully, much like the western sky reflected the sunrise this morning. At other times, however, we fall short, offering a dim or distorted reflection of who God is to the world around us.
To be a reflection of the Creator in the world is to live in such a way that something true about God becomes visible through us—not because we are perfect, but because we are being shaped by Him.
At its core, it means bearing God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27). We were created to mirror God’s character, values, and purposes in the world. Like the reflection of the sunrise, we do not generate the light ourselves—we receive it and reflect it. We need to reflect God’s character, God’s presence, and God’s light in a broken world. To reflect the Creator is to receive God’s life and love and let it pass through us—in how we speak, lead, rest, love, and remain faithful.
May we remember that reflecting the Creator is not about striving to shine brighter, but about staying turned toward the light. As we surrender our hurried rhythms, our need for control, and our fear of getting it wrong, we make room for God’s presence to be seen in us. In ordinary moments—how we listen, how we love, how we show up—we become quiet reflections of a beautiful Creator. May we begin each day asking not, How can I be impressive? but How can I be available? trusting that even imperfect reflections can still point the world toward the light behind us.
