What Do You See?

Puzzles are a stress reliever for me, and when I saw the picture on this particular one, I couldn’t resist it. You see, I have a soft spot in my heart for an orange tabby because of a cat we had. Fred was a ginger cat, and he was the delight of us all.

You may have also noticed that the picture is reminiscent of the painting by Norman Rockwell; however, instead of painting a likeness of himself, this cat painted himself as a tiger. The thought of a cat seeing himself as a tiger is a funny notion, and it got me to thinking. If I was seated in front of an easel, what would my self-portrait look like? Would I paint myself as calm and collected or frazzled? Standing tall or beaten down? Someone full of dreams or someone just trying to survive?

What about you? When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

It depends on the day, right? Some days we feel like a tiger full of confidence and strength, and then there are the other days. Those days when we feel more like a beat-up alley cat, to be honest. Our moods ebb and flow like the tide, but the more I thought about it, I began to wonder what God would paint. If God sat down before an easel with a paintbrush in hand, what would our portraits look like? How does God see you or me?

Like our painting cat, we know that God does not look on the outward appearance:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

We, however, do not always look at people the way God does. We tend to judge people by how they look. Are they wearing the right clothes? Do they drive the right car? Live in the right neighborhoods? These are the things that we look at, but not God. Instead, he is concerned with the condition of our hearts. He examines our minds to see where our eyes are looking, and even though we may try to hide it from the world, there is no hiding from God. He alone knows who or what sits atop the throne in our hearts, which should be a very a sobering thought when you consider that he is the one painting our portrait.

I realize you may have had a sinking feeling when you consider that nothing is hidden from God (Hebrews 4:13). If so, don’t lose hope! You need to keep in mind that your picture isn’t done yet, and just because you have messed up in the past doesn’t mean that you will forever be stuck with an image of you wrapped up in the chains of sin. Christ nailed our sins to the cross (Colossians 2:14), and when we put our faith in him, God no longer sees a rebel but a beloved child who is, “being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

We also have a heavenly Father who has big plans for his children (Jeremiah 29:11), which makes me think of the story of Gideon. He would become one of Israel’s judges, but his story begins with him in a winepress trying to thresh wheat (Judges 6:11). Yes, it was an odd thing for him to be doing because a farmer would normally thresh grain out in the open where the wind could blow away the lighter chaff. Gideon, however, chose to work in a winepress because it would have been hidden from view. You see, he was attempting to hide from the Midianites who had made it their business to steal all of Israel’s crops (Judges 6:4).  

So, there was Gideon, struggling to separate the wheat from the chaff in a winepress, when the angel appeared to him. Not exactly the image he would want immortalized on canvas but hear how the angel of the LORD greeted him: “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.” (Judges 6:12)

It seems that God, at his easel, had sketched a different view of Gideon. God saw him not as he was - a man who was afraid - but who he would become.

Friends, this is good news for all us! Like Gideon, we too can struggle with our faith and be afraid. We won’t always get it right, but we can still be used by God.

Let me say that again: We can still be used by God even when we mess up.

You see, despite Gideon's lack of faith at times, God still used him to defeat the Midianite army with only three hundred men. The writer of Hebrews also included him in the Hall of Faith in chapter eleven. He was a mighty warrior after all.  

I next thought of Peter with Jesus catching fish when there should have been no fish. In that moment, Peter saw himself for what he was:  

“Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. (Luke 5:8-10a)

The portrait Peter had painted of himself was that of an unclean fisherman, and he did not feel worthy to be in the presence of Jesus. However, like Gideon, Jesus saw Peter not as he was, but who he would become: “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:10b-11)

I feel that for a brief moment Jesus lifted the veil and let the men see the painting his Father was working on of them. From that day forward, they would be fishers of men because Jesus had not come along to just give them a good catch. He came to change their lives forever, and when saw themselves as they would be one day, it gave them the courage they needed to leave their ships, their nets, their old way of life and follow him.

That’s what can happen when we answer God’s call. When we step out in faith and trust that his version of us is true. But I know what you are thinking….

Lisa, that’s hard!

Friends, I know because it’s hard for me too. God oftentimes will take us to places where it just doesn’t make sense and ask us to do things that we aren’t trained to do. Just think about those four men in the boat; they were fishermen by trade. Why would Jesus choose them to be his disciples instead of learned men from the right families and the right schools?

Why?

Because it caught people’s attention when they would later do the unexpected, such as healing a lame man: “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13)

The members of the Sanhedrin were amazed. They could not deny the miracle Peter and John had performed, because the healed man was standing in front of them. However, they could not explain how two ordinary, average guys could perform such a miracle. They were perplexed, but the members of the council also noticed Peter and John’s confidence, as well as the power of Peter’s words, and they remembered these two men had been with Jesus.

More than anything else, a changed life convinces people of Christ’s power, and it is one of our greatest testimonies. So, yes, it’s scary when God asks us to do things we don’t feel trained to do, but we have to remember what Paul said, “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

This side of heaven, we are only seeing in part, but God sees our completed picture. He sees in each of us what he created us to be, and all he asks of us is to trust him. Therefore, we have to be willing to crawl out of our winepresses, our boats, or wherever we may be hiding and follow him.

So even on the days when you feel like a beat-up alley cat, never forget that the Lion of Judah resides within you.

Maybe it’s time to let him roar.

Amen…. So be it!  Lisa

Discussion Questions

If God were to give you a glimpse of your portrait, what would it look like?

Why is it so hard to see ourselves as God sees us?

Gideon and Peter didn’t always get it right, but God was still able to use them. How does this fact encourage you?