Reflect: Five Minute Friday

Prompted but unscripted, a "free write" for five minutes with no edits, no re-writes. Every Friday (or Thursday night if you're at the Twitter party), we receive the week's prompt and write. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious, and usually spontaneous, this community has grown so much and now means a lot to me! Join us, it's so much fun! Here's the link to Kate's page.

Go!

Tonight's prompt is Reflect.

I am actually using my timer tonight. *Good girl*
:)
At first, reflect stirred nostalgic candlelight and year-end memories by the fireplace.

Quickly, though, I realized how self-focused that post would have been.

My vein tonight is reflect as in a reflection.

My challenge?  That when others are human to me, that I would be a mirror, but that instead of seeing themselves, they would see Jesus looking back at them.

How do we accomplish this?  With love. "Rid yourselves of all malice" literally means to bless.

If a hating, spewing person does not get a hateful, spewing reaction, but instead one of love, they will be confused.

"I tell you bless those that curse you.
You will heap flaming coals upon their head."
Romans 12:14 "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."
Romans 12:20 "On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

Matthew 5:40-48 in the Voice Translation states:

⁴⁰ If someone connives to get your shirt, give him your jacket as well. ⁴¹ If someone forces you to walk with him for a mile, walk with him for two instead. ⁴² If someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone wants to borrow something from you, do not turn away.

⁴³ You have been taught to love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I tell you this: love your enemies. Pray for those who torment you and persecute you— ⁴⁵ in so doing, you become children of your Father in heaven. He, after all, loves each of us—good and evil, kind and cruel. He causes the sun to rise and shine on evil and good alike. He causes the rain to water the fields of the righteous and the fields of the sinner. ⁴⁶ It is easy to love those who love you—even a tax collector can love those who love him. ⁴⁷ And it is easy to greet your friends—even outsiders do that! ⁴⁸ But you are called to something higher: “Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

The more we are looking outward to the needs of others, the less focused we are on our own needs (and wants). This does not mean irresponsibility, but instead, unselfishness. When somebody hurts you, ask yourself "why?" Was it really you they were upset with? Or are you an innocent casualty?

If we will choose to reflect instead of react, we will be Jesus to a dark world. And, on that silent, holy night, when the world was just as dark and gloomy as it was before He came, and still is, HE was brilliant and glorious, and He Was and Is and Is to Come!

When we allow our lives to reflect Jesus to others, we are removed from the depth of the sting that their "light and momentary" wounds cause us.
We can alternately choose to reflect on what they have done to us, moving the focus inward, and I think you and I both know, that there's a lot less of Jesus in that choice.

*timer has spoken*

Blessings to you and a Merry Christmas!!
~Tammy

(and I again ask for your linkup number or url in your comment, please, pretty please, so I can read your post and comment back!!)