Article: Your Reflection Matters

You are a reflection of what is most important to you.

You are a reflection of what you are most passionate about.

You are a reflection of what you admire.

Jesus once said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34

You project into the world what you store up.

If that is “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” Galatians 5:22 then there will be more of that around you and in the world.

However, if your heart contains “idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy” (a partial list from Galatians 5:20)… there will be more of that in our world.

I get it, you see the words idolatry and witchcraft, and you want to dismiss the whole list as if it is a complete package. It is not. So, let’s read it again without those two words so that we can fully grasp the gravity of the situation.

If you prioritize, if you are passionate about, if you admire those qualities and those who engage in hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy … there is going to be more of that in the world. That is a fact and that is observably true.

Life is harder in 2026 because of our brokenness. Life is more challenging because many people want or admire these character traits in themselves and others.

The ironic part is that those who embrace this behavior and relish cruelty, cuddle up to this bad behavior until those very things affect their lives personally. However, this old proverb is still true, “it is more difficult to get the genie back in the bottle once it is freed.”

In case you didn’t know the rest of that verse in Galatians, Paul is clear about such people who embrace these flawed and harmful traits. “Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:21

As in any age of humanity, some are cheering this behavior on, and some find it reprehensible. I hope you grasp where Saint Paul came down on this.

Jesus understood this behavior better than we understand ourselves. He knew that these very traits would cause his betrayal, his arrest and his crucifixion. Jesus didn’t orchestrate anything on Good Friday. He knew that hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy would pave the way for his death. Jesus also knew that his death that would bring new life, specifically for us.

Let me ask… What is most important to you? What are you most passionate about? What do you admire?

Remember “a person reaps what they sow” Galatians 6:7, but so does the world.

“For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” And that affects the world around us.

The world needs less hate and animosity towards the poor, people of color, the immigrants and the LGBT community. They are not at fault for what is going on in our world right now. It’s the stuff I quoted from Galatians. Take a moment, scroll up, read that list again and you will see this is true.

Never fight fire with fire. Don’t respond to hate with hate. Jesus didn’t.

We need more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22.  Saint Paul thinks so too.

God bless you,
Pr. Ben Bergren