Proverbs 27:19 (ESV)  – As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.

Most people are infatuated with their reflection in the mirror. From the time we are kids, all the way through adulthood, our reflection in the mirror stops us. Sometimes we stop to adjust our hair. Other times we check our outfit out. There are even times we just stop to take in the image staring back at us. We notice a new wrinkle. We see a zit on our face. Sometimes our inner-voice tells us we look good, and others times it tells us we don’t. But we are people that look at our reflection each day. Hardly a day passes without taking in the reflection of ourselves.

Our passage today gives us a keen insight about reflections. We read in the proverb, “As in water face reflects face, so the heart of man reflects the man.” When you look into a pool of water, you can see your reflection. Your face comes into view. The water is reflecting back to you an accurate picture of what you look like. In the same way, the things revealed by our hearts are accurate reflections of who we are. Our hearts reflect our character. 

Jesus taught about this too. In Matthew 15, Jesus said that what a person eats or digests doesn’t defile a man. Rather, it is what comes out of man that defiles him. It is what comes out of his heart. The heart is the fountain for all of our actions. Our integrity or lack of integrity is a reflection of our hearts. The test of a person’s character is not the words they speak about themselves, but what their hearts reflect back. That’s the principle laid out in this proverb. 

What does your heart reflect about you today? How does your heart reflect your character? The interesting thing is that the teaching of Scripture shows us that our actions flow from the heart. So when we see our lives out of step with God, we can’t simply do behavior modification, we need our hearts renewed. We need clean hearts, restored hearts. The heart must be transformed if the person is going to be transformed. 

Pray today for a renewed heart before God. Ask Him to continue transforming your heart to love what is lovely and to treasure what is valuable. Jesus is able to transform hearts that come humbly to Him for grace.

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Reflection & Journal: 
- Why is the heart so important to understand?
- What does this passage teach us about where our actions spring from? What does this mean for the process of sanctification and growth?
- How does this passage challenge you? What does it leave you walking away with today?

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