Made in God's Image

Something has come to my attention and it breaks my heart.  I have not been able to stop thinking about this over the past few days.  I see evidence of it everywhere and with each additional confirmation my heart is deeply saddened. 

Our human nature compels us to sin.  This world and its unspoken & spoken standards only aids our human nature to be more sinful.  It corrupts our hearts to naturally compare ourselves to others, think negatively of others, covet what we do not possess, and a slew of other sinful acts.  

What has been laid so heavily on my heart is the dilemma between what our world’s society calls beautiful and what God calls beautiful.  Everyday we walk down the street, look on the internet, browse social media, etc and in our minds we separate the beautiful from the ugly.  I do this as well.  We make statements like “she’s really beautiful”, “he’s hot”, “I wish I had her hair”, “I need to lose weight so I can look like that” etc.  On the flip side we make these statements as well “she’s not pretty at all”, “he’s ugly”, “her nose is too big”, “he needs to lose some weight” etc. Can you deny that both sets of these statements haven’t been thought in your mind or said aloud before?  I know that I can’t.  

For over a year now I have been convicted of looking at people who are, by society’s standards, not beautiful or they need to change a few things to be beautiful.  In the past year God has changed my heart to see not just what society views as beautiful, but what He views as beautiful.  Let me tell you, they are completely different things.  The book of Genesis states that we are ALL made in the image of God.  All of us.  Every single one.  So how can I look at someone and say that they are not beautiful?  How can I think that their nose is too big or overall they just aren’t as pretty as this other person?  How can I do that?  If I am to make that statement then in turn I am saying that God is not beautiful either.  And that, my friends, simply isn’t possible.  God isn’t just beautiful, he is the embodiment of the word. He IS Beauty.  He encompasses the word.  So there is no way anyone who is made in his image can be ugly.

God isn’t just beautiful, he is the embodiment of the word. He IS Beauty.

This has been on my heart and in my daily mindset over the past year but this week God showed me the other side to this as well.  I had a conversation with a friend about one of their friends, who by society’s standards is very beautiful—I mean he is a model and actor.  In this conversation, my friend was sharing with me how hard it is for this person to interact with others.  How everyone is always making comments about how beautiful he is and they are constantly trying to talk with him and they aren’t shy about it at all.  I’ve seen women respond to him in public and it unnerving.  Because of this, it is hard for him to discern who is genuine or who is just talking to him because he has a pretty face.  It was then that I started to see that we don’t just demean who society calls ugly but we also dignify those who society calls beautiful. We categorize people.

The more I observed this, it the more evidence appeared.  I keep wondering how or what I can do to put a stop to this, but I am realizing that I can’t.  It would mean putting a stop to the sinful nature inside every human heart.  I cannot do that, only God can.  What I can do is wake up everyday and choose to see the beauty that God created.  To look upon his children with awe and respect, knowing that each on is created in God’s image and is breathtaking in their own way.  I challenge you to do the same.  

So ask yourself... How do you view beauty? 

Some Infinities are Bigger than other Infinities

There is book.  I'm sure you've all heard of.  There was a movie made from this book.  That I'm sure most of you have seen.

In this book/movie there is a scene.  I will not go into complete details about the scene, for if you haven't seen it... details would give the movie away.  But there is quote... that when I hear it in the book or in the movie it brings me to tears.

I was thinking about thinking about this earlier as I was re-watching the movie.  The quote says this

Some infinities are bigger than others, a writer we used to like taught us that... I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. You gave me a forever within the numbered days.  And for that I am eternally grateful.  I love you so much.

I cry every time in this scene.  Only this time did I look at it through a different lens.  God gives us forever.  He gives us forever with him and a numbered amount of days on this earth.  His infinity is the greatest infinity.  Yet each of us has a little infinity with him.  A day, minute, second, that our relationship started.  Our little infinity started at the very moment we believed in him and it will never end.

Unlike the movie/book... our little infinity goes on and on even after death.  We have eternity with our God and Father.

My tears are more for this fact than they are for this quote in book/movie.  My tears are of joy... knowing that my infinity will never end and that God has given me a forever with him.

Praise Jesus.

 

What do you Desire?

"The main problem our heart has is not so much desires for bad things, but our over-desires for good things." -Timothy Keller

Have you ever heard someone say something or read a quote and thought... "I've never thought about it like that. It's so true." or "You're so right!"  I saw this quote by Timothy Keller the other day and that is exactly what happened.  However, as the day went on I kept thinking about what Keller said and wondering what exactly he meant...

As a child of God, I know that every good and perfect gift comes from above (Jam 1:17), so how can my heart's main problem be with an over-desire of good things?  As soon as I had this question I thought about how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness.  Satan temped Jesus with good things, not bad things.  

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’and“‘On their hands they will bear you up,lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,“‘You shall worship the Lord your Godand him only shall you serve.’”Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him. Matthew 4:1-11

Satan first temped Jesus in a way that would end his suffering and allow him to eat after 40 days and nights of fasting.  If you hadn't eaten in 40 days I think being offered food is a good thing. Satan's second attempt to tempt Jesus would appeal to the desire in Jesus's heart (as he was 100% man and 100% God) to see God act immediately on our behalf.  Pass the test we put before him.  I confess that I often put God to the test.  I pray for something and desire to see it answered immediately.  Partly because I want it answered and partly because I desire confirmation that God is listening and cares.  Jesus reminds us that we are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor 5:7).  Lastly, Satan tempts Jesus with comfort, riches, and glory.  What human on this earth doesn't desire material things?

Yes, there is suffering and pain.  Yes, that can turn us away from God.  But how often is it that we don't seek God because things are going good.  Yet the minute something bad happens we are running to him; praying for him to fix it.  Often I only seek God when I am going through something difficult.  I feel closest to God when I am suffering and broken because I know that he is the only one who can heal and satisfy me heart.  Why wouldn't Satan see this and take advantage? 

The problem is not that I desire good things because God gives good gifts to his kids.  The problem is that I desire these things more than I desire God.  I desire material things of this world, approval of peers, and countless other meaningless things over the love and relationship I have with my heavenly father.  He who is perfect, kind, constant, and King.  He who turns pain into beauty and darkness into light.  He knows the depths of my heart and loves me still.