Revealing the Reflection

What does your reflection reveal about you? This powerful exploration of Colossians 3:1-4 challenges us to examine whether our lives truly mirror Christ or merely add Him as an accessory to our existing identity. The message centers on a transformative truth: when we are raised with Christ, we die to ourselves and become hidden in Him—literally unrecognizable as we once were. This isn't about superficial change or moral improvement; it's about complete transformation where Christ lives through us. The passage presents a threefold pattern for reflecting Christ: being raised and hidden with Him, actively seeking the things above, and setting our minds on heavenly things. Each step requires our participation, yet none can be accomplished without the Holy Spirit's power. We're reminded that the natural person cannot understand spiritual things—they seem like folly without the Spirit's illumination. The challenge confronts our American Christianity tendency to like who we were before Christ, making Him an addition rather than the transformative center of our lives. We pursue sin with aggressive intentionality, planning and hiding our moments of weakness, yet often approach seeking God with passive indifference. The call is clear: pursue the kingdom with the same intensity we once pursued our desires. When we look in the mirror, the reflection should increasingly show less of us and more of Christ—compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and sacrificial love. This is the journey from being recognizable by worldly standards to becoming unmistakably His.