What do people see in me?

When we lived in San Fernando Valley, our daughter was close friends with three girls. For months after we moved back to Canada, she talked like a valley girl. As a boy, our oldest son loved watching “Get Smart” and was completely familiar with all the quirks of Don Adams who played Maxwell Smart in that show. He talked like him and acted like him. Husbands and wives also pick up each other’s mannerisms and way of speaking. It is only natural that if Jesus Christ comes to live in me, His words and actions will also begin to show up . . . 

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (1 John 2:1–6)

John reminds me that if I am not acting like Jesus, He still is my advocate with God the Father and has given His life to pay the penalty for my failure. I have hope, even when I fail.

On the bright side, with Him in my life His character will show up. For example, after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven, the disciples were involved in a healing and confronted by the high priest and other religious leaders. When asked how they pulled this off, they spoke of Jesus and “when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

A Christian friend told us that before she knew Jesus herself, she could recognize Christians because “their faces were shiny.” My husband is often asked at work or on the golf course, “You are a Christian aren’t you?”

This recognition is not usually from obvious things like seeing a person kneel in prayer, or hearing them talk about church activities or noticing that they are always thankful about everything. It might be that they do not curse, or that they are kind and joyful, or do not whine or gossip. Whatever it is, Christians show something of the way that Jesus is and the things that Jesus does.

Although some may fall into that fake spirituality, this is not ‘put on’ or a conscious effort to be pious. Rather, it flows out naturally, like the way a child is without pressures and just being themselves. The Bible calls this walking in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Jesus describes how to do it:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:4–5)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, I know that fruit-bearing is about attitude first, then actions. You want me to have Your attitude about people, events, everything. If I love You and love others, then everything I do will flow out of that. The New Testament is filled with descriptions of what this looks like, yet if I try to examine myself to see how I am doing, it is like trying to step into my shadow. Instead, I’m to keep my eyes and thoughts on You and let You take care of the output. This is a learning curve, yet a most wonderful learning curve — making life a great adventure.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- that I know Jesus — such a wonder and a joy!

- that Jesus never leaves or forsakes me, even when I take my eyes off Him.

- being with Jesus is the way to become like Him in all that I say and do.

- uninterrupted time to make progress on two projects.

- homemade hamburgers.

- a very good timer so my power naps don’t wind up taking all day.

HOT Christians

My friend Janice says Christians should be HOT. She defines that as “honest, open, and transparent.” I’ve known a few HOT Christians. One was my first mentor. Another was a man in a church we joined in California. Another is a friend who used to live nearby. These people are not perfect, but their transparency means that the One who lives in them can be seen. In other words, when I was with them, the strong presence of Jesus Christ was obvious.

This was true also of Jesus’ disciples . . .

Now when they (the rulers and elders of the people) saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

What is it that makes some Christians reflect the Lord Jesus Christ more than others? From this verse, obviously it is not about how much I know. Degrees from a Bible school and a seminary do not make me shine. In fact, this is not about me at all. However, there are ways that I can get out of His way so that He can shine through me. Today’s devotional points to Jesus’ sermon from Matthew 5:1-16 and from it, there are some clues.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Poverty of spirit means no claim to being somebody, no attempts to prove myself. In me there is absolutely nothing of eternal value. I am a sinner, through and through. Thinking this way is a tremendous protection against putting on airs which easily hides the One who lives in my heart.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Mourning for my sin is about as far away from pride as I can get. Pride puts me in a mode of layering, showing off my so-called best self. When I do that, people see only the layers, not Jesus.

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Most people think ‘doormat’ or ‘jellyfish’ when meekness is used. In the Bible, it is about humility and a mild and gentle demeanor. That is, when stuff happens, a meek person is not riled and does not fight back. Instead, they trust God totally no matter what is going on. This is so rare that it stands out as a God-thing in the lives of those who are meek.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The ‘prosperity gospel’ teaches that every Christian should be healthy and wealthy. While God does promise good things, yet He also says, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) If I want others to see Jesus in me, I need to have my priorities right. Seeking money, comfort, a perfect life, makes me no different than most everyone else, and my ambition will hide Jesus.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” Jesus epitomizes mercy by doing for us what we cannot and do not deserve. An attitude that others must be worthy of my attention, care, or kindness will totally blot out the God of mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This verse nails it. Purity of heart is about being free of guilt, but it also means to be “unmixed” so I cannot let my ideas, emotions, and desires become mixed into the goodness that Jesus brings into my life. This will muddy my heart so I cannot see the God who lives there, never mind letting others see Jesus in me.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Some people love to watch a fight. Genuine peacemakers are rare. Those who do it will win Nobel prizes and have books written about their lives, even if Jesus is not their motivation. As His child, I ought to desire people to be at peace with God and each other. This marks me as a Christian and it flows from being with Jesus.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” True and transparent Christians are not always popular. The Jesus who shines out of their lives was sinless yet crucified because of it. I cannot expect to be totally loved if others can see Jesus in me. Some of them will hate me.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This last directive is closest to describing what a HOT Christian does. Transparency makes others thirsty for God. It is a quality that shines in such a way that people glorify God, not me but God. This circles back to the first beatitude; if people are going to see Jesus in me, I need to be poor in spirit and stop blocking Him from being visible.

Seeing Jesus

This morning Chambers prompts me to think about the people whom I know that are strongly like Christ. Three come to mind; my first mentor, a man in California, and a friend who used to live nearby. When in the presence of those three, I felt as if I was in the presence of the Lord.

However, God did not keep them close in my life. The mentor died, we no longer live in CA, and the friend has also moved away. Chambers connects this ‘loss’ to the gain of seeing Jesus. He quotes Isaiah . . .

“In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.” (Isaiah 6:1)

I’m not sure how much Isaiah looked up to King Uzziah, but when that man was gone, Isaiah had a vision of the Lord. Chambers says that God has to remove our friends in order to bring Himself in their place. He says the first response might be discouragement, but then we should ask when that person is gone or has died, do I give up everything, become ill or discouraged? Or do I say that I have seen the Lord?

My mentor was like Jesus in many ways. The strongest memory I have was her response to the death of her husband. During that time, God turned my fraidy-cat fear of Him concerning tragedies into a joyful realization of His grace and power. She changed my view of God by her Christ-like response to sorrow.

We were not close friends with the man in CA, but he exuded the love of God all the time. His joy was infectious. Seeing Jesus in him, I learned that I also could be joyful in ordinary situations. Being like Jesus means that I do not need to depending on circumstances to make me happy.

My friend who moved was also like Jesus in many ways. He is transparent, saying what is on his heart without putting on a mask or false persona to hide anything, including the life of Jesus Christ who shines through Him. He loves people unconditionally and is a superior encourager. Through him, God gave me a deeper understanding of His kindness, grace and unconditional love. He also showed me how to appreciate and practice integrity without pretense or fear of rejection.

Chambers says that my vision of God depends upon the state of my character and my character determines my vision of God. That is, God uses external events as well as internal purification to bring me to that place where I can see Jesus, and it is in seeing Jesus that I am transformed into His likeness . . .

“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another . . . .” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

While this transformation is incomplete in this life, one day it will be one hundred percent . . .

“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2)

Becoming more like Jesus is influenced by seeing Him in others, but I cannot let the others ruin the goal of “God first, God second, and God third.” The danger is putting other people on pedestals (not good for them) or idolizing them (not good for me).

Chambers reminds me that if I am willing to live up to the vision of Him that He presents in other people, then I must also be willing to let Him remove those people from my life. He says to “keep paying that price” — which seems a very high price. However, being willing to suffer those losses is part of living for Him. His goal is not that I am surrounded by godly examples but that I can see Him better and be transformed and able to say, “In all the world there is none but thee, my God, there is none but thee.”