It's Not About You (2 Cor. 3:18)

People walked away saying, ‘That was great! I hope the team understands how much we appreciate them!’”1

In a similar way, authentic worship is our attempt to communicate how much we admire, adore and appreciate Jesus Christ.

Our Life’s Purpose Is to Reflect Christ

Just as Moses reflected the glory of God after meeting with Him, we, too, reflect His glory by meeting with Him in worship. Notice another phrase in verse 18: “beholding as in a mirror.” The verb translated “beholding” can also be translated “reflecting.” Which is the better rendering of the two? I understand Paul to mean beholding and reflecting. The passive and middle forms of the verb literally mean “to be mirrored.” So we behold the glory of God as if we are looking in a mirror. We look closely, examining carefully the glory we see. By doing so, we see God’s glory and out of necessity reflect it. Thus Paul uses the analogy of a mirror. We see it and reflect it as a mirror of God’s image.

Moses’ face shone because he reflected the presence of God. Likewise, we reflect the glory of God when we behold Jesus Christ. The one difference, however, is that the reflected glory of God in us never fades because the purpose of the Christian life is to display Jesus. We exist as heaven’s advertising agency, promoting the glory of God in every area of our lives.

Max Lucado poses this question: “How well do you know the following people and organizations? Jack Tinker and Partners? Doyle Dane Bernbach? BBDO? Foote, Cone, and Belding? J. Walter Thompson? How did you do? Chances are you don’t know anyone on that list; and, if not, they’re pleased. Advertising companies don’t exist to make names for themselves. Their purpose is to make a name for others.

“While you’re probably not familiar with the companies, most likely you’re very familiar with their work: ‘Plop, plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is.’ That’s the work of Jack Tinker and Partners for Alka-Seltzer in 1976. ‘We Try Harder’ was the slogan created for AVIS Rent-A-Car by Doyle Dane Bernbach in 1962. ‘M’m! M’m! Good!’ was the catchphrase designed for Campbell’s Soup by BBDO in 1935. Maybe you’ve never heard of Foote, Cone, and Belding; but I bet you have heard the mott ‘When you care enough to send the very best.’ Hallmark has used the line since 1934. You may not know the name J. Walter Thompson, but I guarantee you’ve hummed the jingle he wrote for Kellogg’s: ‘Snap, Crackle, Pop, Rice Krispies!’ We could learn a lot from these companies. What they do for their clients, we should do for Christ.” 2

Like mirrors, we should reflect the glory of the Lord. The heart of worship demands that we remain unknown in order to make Him known.