I think each of you has a mirror at home. It is unique because it always tells us the truth to our face, although not everyone is pleased by that truth. The mirror itself possesses no power and does not set out to change my appearance. It can only show me what is there.
God’s law is also a mirror of the soul. It was spoken by God Himself and has not been changed by Him to this day. But the law does not change my life. It only tells me that my life does not meet its requirements. It points out transgressions. Jesus revealed the spirit of the law to me, helping me understand that all His commands apply not only to my actions but also to my thoughts. And the Lord desires to write His commandments upon my heart.
God’s law is good and holy for those who are good and holy, but it mercilessly exposes and judges those who violate it. The mirror of the law cannot lie. It speaks truth to my heart, but it does not resolve the problem of sin in my life.
Yet I have Jesus, Who reveals His will to me through His law and offers me His help and power to correct what is wrong in my life.
What is the mirror of love? What does it reflect and show me? Where can I see my love and understand how genuine it is? Your loving hearts, my friends, are my mirror of love, in which I see what I possess within my own heart. This is what makes our relationship special. You are a reflection of what is within me. Such a mirror tells me the truth, which is sometimes very bitter and difficult.
I look at my reflection in your love and see how sincere and genuine I am. And what do you see in me and in my love for you? You see yourselves and your love for me. I reflect to you who you are, and you tell me about myself.
If I begin judging myself by myself, I will most likely become self-absorbed. And if I am also proud, nothing good will come of it. But if I want to know the genuine truth about my love, I bring it to you, because you are the ones who will show me everything you have seen and how it has affected you. Through your evaluation in the spirit of love and friendship, I come to know myself and understand how sincere, valuable, and truthful I am. And my love for you helps you see how filled with love you are and what still needs to be changed within your heart.
Let us consider an example. You examine yourself and conclude that you are a failure. That is a very bold self-assessment, and it instills confidence in you that this is indeed true. Then I appear—all beloved as I am—and begin persuading you of the opposite. I tell you how wonderful you are, what marvelous potential has been placed within you—so much that there was even enough for me—what great wings you have upon your back, and how your love has changed my life. You soar with joy because of this assessment. Through the revelations within me and the changes in my life, I have revealed the whole truth about you. I have become your mirror of love.
The Bible teaches in 1 John 1:7: ‘But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.’ There is no love in deliberate isolation. Love is simply unnecessary and unseen if there is no one from whom it can be reflected.
Look at the night sky. Can you see the sunlight that penetrates space from every direction? No. You behold utter darkness. Light has visible power only when it is reflected from something, displaying the spectrum of every color and shade. The same is true of love. It needs someone.
It is difficult to see your love immediately in evil or deceitful people. Like ‘black holes,’ they absorb all the light and reflect nothing. But love heals even such hearts if they respond to its influence.
Yet in fellowship with those who love or strive toward this goal, God brings about amazing mutual discoveries. For example, if someone lies alone in a cold bed, it is very difficult for him to warm himself. He must wrap himself up tightly to retain his warmth or heat the room. But if another person is beside him under the blanket, they will warm up very quickly by sharing their warmth with each other.
During my military service, I was placed in the guardhouse. It was winter, and I was put in a solitary cell without a window or a bed. Throughout the first night, I was freezing and could not sleep. Later, I was transferred to a shared cell, where it was also cold. At night, we lay close together, covered ourselves with our military overcoats, warmed one another, and slept that way. I do not remember those soldiers, but I remember how warm I felt with them in that cold cell.
We should not deprive ourselves of fellowship with our fellow believers. This is God’s plan for our spiritual development and purification.
A mirror helps me see myself, examine my features, notice shortcomings, admire the beauty of God’s creation, and make a decision.
The most sincere mirrors of love are our spouses. But if a spouse does not walk with God, he or she may become a distorted mirror and misrepresent the truth. Ideally, the two loving hearts of a husband and wife who believe in the one God are the finest reflection of God’s love—first for each other and then for those around them.
It is very difficult for me to understand what I am truly like until I see the reflection of my love for you in the way it has helped you, and the reflection of your love in the way it has helped me. Such a relationship works miracles in our lives.
This quality is not easy to explain and is even more difficult to understand. Yet we have been given to one another for a reason: to cultivate mutual love in others. People who love me quickly reveal my own value to me—in God’s eyes, in my own eyes, and in theirs as well. I see myself in a loving heart. This value is determined not by how wonderful I am, but by how my love has helped others feel that they are wonderful, make amazing discoveries within themselves, change for the better, and accomplish something remarkable. If my love has helped you love yourself, discover the person within you, and understand your value in God’s eyes, then in this I can see a very good reflection of who I am. The same also applies to me. Your love brings changes into my life and shows you who you are.
The commandment that we love one another is very deep. We will explore it throughout Eternity without ever reaching the bottom of its revelations. This prospect brings me great joy.
The development of any child clearly demonstrates the power and influence of love. Begin scolding a child for every mistake and calling him hurtful names, and a lifelong sense of inferiority will form within him. But if this little person is treated with love and helped to make new discoveries within himself as a creative individual and as a human being, his development will be vigorous and well-rounded. We were created by Love for love, and only love can uncover the limitless potential within me. Love desires to do this from earliest childhood. But everyone had a different childhood. Even now, however, love can correct everything. It is powerful; it tears down strongholds.
If I have only one friend, that is better than nothing, but it is still not quite what I need. If there are many mirrors, they will convince me more fully of the truth about myself than a single mirror, because they will show me the same image from every side.
Whoever desires to have many friends must himself be friendly.
Bible Verses for Reflection
Proverbs 4:7–12; 17:17; Genesis 2:18; John 13:34; Ephesians 5:28, 33; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 1:7; 4:8, 11; James 1:23–25; Matthew 18:20.