Look in the mirror; see yourself, your exact likeness. Think for a moment: My reflection can never be different from me, its original. It is utterly incapable of expressing or showing forth anything that is unlike me—anything that it does not actually reflect. Mrs. Eddy writes: "As the reflection of yourself appears in the mirror, so you, being spiritual, are the reflection of God. The substance, Life intelligence, Truth, and Love, which constitute Deity, are reflected by His creation; and when we subordinate the false testimony of the corporeal senses to the facts of Science, we shall see this true likeness and reflection everywhere." ^{Science and Health, p. 516;}

The importance Mrs. Eddy attaches to the word "reflection" as illustrating man's relation to God may be gauged from the many times the word appears in her writings; certainly no word better expresses man's indissoluble unity with his creator. It is well to note that true reflection is a mental process, a spiritual activity taking place in divine Mind; it is not subject to the physical laws and limitations governing reflection as the term is applied to material objects.

As a reflection is an exact likeness of the original in every detail, so individual spiritual man, as a reflection of God, is a complete expression of Him in every respect: not, of course, quantitatively, for the infinite can be revealed only in the whole of God's creation. In quality, however, man uniquely instances the divine perfection, just as each ray of sunlight individualizes the full power and brilliance of the sun.

Christian Science teaches that this man, this perfect reflection of God, is in reality the true spiritual selfhood of you and me and everyone. This may not be readily apparent to us in our present state of thought; nevertheless it is true. It will be seen true as human consciousness is divested of its mistaken thinking. We are the reflection of substance, of that which is perfect, indestructible, inexhaustible, and of that which knows no discord, decay, or decrepitude. Therefore we cannot lapse from perfection in the slightest detail.

We reflect Life, that which is eternal, without beginning or end—Life that can never diminish, never lose its vigor, never fade into death. We live because God lives. We are because He is; and we must so continue, for a reflection cannot be separated from its origin, cannot cease to reflect it.

As God's ideas, we reflect intelligence, a quality of the all-knowing Mind; hence we can always know and understand all we need to know and understand. In other words, we must reflect all that is requisite to make us perfect expressions of intelligence. We reflect Truth; thus we are the epitome of uprightness and integrity. We are incapable of being misled or deluded into believing aught that is untrue of ourselves or of others. Reflecting Truth, we have no belief in the reality of evil, discord, sickness, or sin, for Truth destroys all that is unlike itself, all that is untrue.

We reflect Love. Of all the names for God, Love best indicates His true nature, whereby mankind are so greatly blessed. Nothing can withstand the power of Love. Continually blessing all, continually bestowing an infinity of goodness on all, Love protects, maintains, and provides for its ideas always. As Love's reflection, then, we cannot help but be loving and lovely, for we must express the divine character; Love's reflection can entertain no hatred, no envy, no malice. Nor can we, in our real being, ever be aware of or come into contact with such false thoughts. Wherever we may seem to be humanly, however hostile our surroundings may appear, the fact remains that we can be truly conscious only of Love's expression. As Love knows only love, how can we really know aught else? Evil cannot actually come into our experience.

Mind is ceaselessly active, for God is continually pouring forth ideas that, by reason of their origin, must always be fresh and original. Thus man, the image of God's ceaseless activity, is ever expressing fresh aspects of perfection—perpetual newness. Yet as the unfolding rosebud retains its identity, its distinctive perfume, color, and beauty, so man retains his identity, his individuality, harmony, and perfection. Mrs. Eddy explains it in this way: "Identity is the reflection of Spirit, the reflection in multifarious forms of the living Principle, Love." ^{p. 477;}

Now all this is the absolute truth of man. It describes all of us as we are in reality. But what of the mortal self? Is this God's reflection? No! It is the expression of mortals' mistaken thinking, thinking based upon the unreliable evidence of the five physical senses, evidence that is neither real nor true. The subordination of this false testimony to the true facts enables us, to use Mrs. Eddy's words, to see God's "likeness and reflection everywhere." It enables us to see ourselves as we really are. This means constantly rejecting the false suggestions presented to us, such as lack, unhappiness, fatigue, accident, disease—discords of every nature—and replacing them with the fact that, in reality, we reflect limitless abundance, continuous joy, unfailing strength, divine control in all things, perfect health and harmony.

Are we troubled over lack of employment, lack of opportunity to express ourselves? Is not man the reflection of the ever-active Mind, which continually provides him with opportunities to express its limitless qualities? Mind cannot cease to know; man cannot cease to reflect. Hence man's activity is continuous. Dwelling in thought on spiritual facts such as these and expressing the divine qualities bring right activity into our human experience.

Sometimes we appear to have too much work and a feeling of inability to cope with it, a sense of pressure. Then we must remember that man, reflecting the limitless ability, unflagging energy, and unfathomable resources of Mind, must manifest this divine strength and ability here and now. Christ Jesus never spoke of overwork. He said, "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise." ^{John 5:19;}

Let us always remember that because nothing is impossible to God nothing is impossible to His reflection. We must continually see and acknowledge this fact. The limitless nature of this Being that we reflect opens up vast possibilities in every direction. No right goal is beyond our reach, for nothing is beyond the power of omnipotence. Mrs. Eddy writes, "God expresses in man the infinite idea forever developing itself, broadening and rising higher and higher from a boundless basis." ^{Science and Health, p. 258.}