July 8 – Living as God’s Reflection in the World

Gregg’s Reflection

There’s a difference between trying to shine on our own and allowing God’s light to shine through us. When I strive to be “good enough” in my own strength, I quickly tire. But when I rest in the reality that God’s Spirit lives within me, I can move through my day with a quiet confidence that His love will find its way to others—often in ways I don’t even notice.

At first, I thought of those moments in my my morning meditations as “breaks” before the day began. Over time, I realized they were the most important part of the day. In that  silence, my thoughts slowed. Worries didn’t seem as urgent. It felt as if God was quietly rearranging things inside me—making space for peace, for trust, for joy. That’s when I began to see silence not as emptiness, but as the place where God’s work in me happens most deeply.

Scripture

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:14–16

For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 4:6–7 

Ancient Quotes

Jesus makes it clear: the light we bear is God’s, meant to illuminate the world around us. In silence and quiet, the devout soul makes progress, and learns the hidden mysteries of the Scriptures.

Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, Book I, Ch. 20

Modern Quotes

Mystical consciousness emerges only out of deep silence, where human meanings fall away and we are immersed beyond thought, language and concept in the pure love of God.

Carl McColman, Christian Mystics, p. 150

Whatever our calling on behalf of the world, it must proceed from a foundational ‘yes’ to God, to life, to Reality. Our necessary ‘no’ to injustice and all forms of un-love will actually become even clearer and more urgent in the silence.

Richard Rohr, CAC Morning Devotion, 7/17/20

May we live so those we encounter and serve see Christ when they look at us. May the light of Christ reflect off us as we mirror God in our daily walk.

Journaling Prompts

• When was the last time you allowed yourself to sit in true silence?
  
• What happens inside you when you quiet your external and internal noise?
  
• How might you make silence a regular part of your spiritual practice?

👉 Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 27 Reflection: Mirror/Face of God