Have you ever said to yourself- “I’m not smart enough, strong enough, talented enough, etc.?” We’ve probably all told ourselves that at some point in our lives. I know I’ve struggled with feeling like that at times. It would seem, sometimes, that we need to give ourselves a pep talk just to get ourselves to the point like we’re feeling up to a task or opportunity presented to us. We can picture a scene from a movie of a person standing in front of a mirror and saying, “You ARE smart enough, strong enough, talented enough…” It actually sounds a little comical, but what if we don’t feel like we’re measuring up and that we have to make ourselves, through some force of will, exhibit those abilities that we wish to see in our lives? So, there must be a better way to go about this. Some years ago I came to that conclusion through my daily study of the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy.
In Christian Science Sunday schools, children learn very early about how God created man in his image and likeness according to Genesis 1, verses 26 and 27. “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” So, I’ve known that I am God’s likeness and can’t be anything unlike Him.
Often, when I’m reading the weekly Bible lesson, I like to look at various translations of the Bible. I’ve really appreciated what I discovered when I looked up one verse in particular regarding reflection. II Corinthians 3 verse 13 reads in the KJV- “…we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” I then found when I looked up another translation it said, “…we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (New KJV) I also found one that further expanded that idea from the NLT- “…all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”
As I read this it suddenly struck me that we are transformed because we are finally seeing ourselves without the veil of mortal, limited beliefs. The “veil” obscures our view so what’s changed is just that view. It is unobstructed by anything. In reality, we have always been the reflex image of the glory of the Lord! This, of course, means that we are worthy and, therefore, are smart, talented, strong, etc. enough because God, infinite Spirit, has made us and He is unlimited Mind, all-powerful, all good, all-loving. We, as His reflection, express everything that God is already. We don’t have to make ourselves be better, we just need to lift that veil and see our true likeness as God’s beautiful, intelligent, strong, talented ideas now!