Reflecting is not necessarily an unhealthy thing but if we’re living there, we can find ourselves at a standstill.  Bruce Springsteen’s song, “Glory Days” relates it well.  He sings about a baseball player who was great in his day.  When Bruce meets up with him one night all this man can talk about is his wonderful past.  In the next verse he meets another friend who was a beautiful woman in her day.  Now her marriage is over and all she wants to talk about is the days of old.  Next Springsteen sings that he does not want to live like that but he fears that he probably will. He realizes it is not a good place to be as all it brings is misery and boring stories.  If your past is anything like mine it was anything but glory days.  As a teenager, I was a pimpled faced girl that was so skinny you could hardly tell my back from my front.  I had no self-esteem whatsoever.  This made me a target for bullying.  I now can look at these trying times and laugh about it but I know people when talking about their past will relive it like it was yesterday though 40 or more years have passed.   It doesn’t have to be this way.  What does the Bible say about it.  Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) So every day we get a new day, to let go and move on.  The word also states, In Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV) Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. The Lord has something new for us every day. Ask Him to open your eyes so you can see it.  If you find yourself reflecting on past mistakes, do not listen to your natural mind as it can be your enemy.  Reflect on who you are in Christ, His beloved child who He has a hope and a future. Let us put the past behind us and reflect on the glory days the Lord has for us and take Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8 (NKJV) “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.”

I touched on one of the definitions of reflect such as: to ponder, meditate, think upon.  Now let’s look at another meaning of the word reflect which means a mirror image. I like the translation in The Living Bible. “But we Christians have no veil over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.” 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB)  Truth is, we can’t be like Him if we don’t know Him. How do we get there? We read His Word. Just don’t read the Bible for head knowledge. Read it so you know what God is like and how He wants us to live.  You will find that He is a God of love, compassionate and forgiving. If you are new to the Bible start with the new testament especially the 4 gospels. John is my favorite since it is about God’s love. Go on YouTube and search for visual Bibles. They really make the Bible come to life.  I said many times before how important it is to spend time with Him. In our busy world it can be difficult to find quiet time.  The best times I have with the Lord are in my car.  For whatever reason that is when He speaks to me the most.  Turn off the radio and talk to Him and listen.  He will give you answers, guidance and direction. It is God’s desire for us to know Him.

God bless you as you reflect and get to know Him more!