Do you look like your picture?

Happy Sunday!

Dr. Bill Winston told a story about a guest minister arriving at the airport in another city.  He waited for an hour, then called the church.  The pastor assured  him the driver was already at the airport to pick him up.  Another hour passed, and a man walked up to the guest minister.  He asked if he was the man. The guest minister replied, and asked what took so long.  The driver replied, "You don't look like your picture!"  The guest minister had provided a photo that was many, many years old.   In this world of Social Media, where photos can be manipulated, do we look like our picture?

As believers, do we look like the picture painted of us in the Word of God?  Are we always triumphing?(2 Corinthians 2:14).  Are we always abounding, do we always have sufficiency in all things?(2 Corinthians 9:8).  Are we in health, and prospering in every area of our lives?(3 John 2).  Are we bold as a lion?(Proverbs 28:1).  Are we the lenders and not the borrowers?(Proverbs 22:7).  Do we have an excellent spirit, are we 10 times better than our co-workers?(Daniel 5:12, 6:3).  Are we a Blessing to those around you and those we meet?(Genesis 12:2).   Do we Love our enemies, bless them that curse us, do good to them that hate us, and pray for them which despitefully use us, and persecute us?(Matthew 5:44).  Ouch!  If you are like me, there is still more work to be done.

The Apostle Paul compared matrimonial love to the love and Christ gives us, the church.  Ephesians 5:25-27 says, "Husbands, you must love your wives so deeply, purely, and sacrificially that we can understand it only when we compare it to the love the Anointed One has for His bride, the church. We know He gave Himself up completely to make her His own, Washing her clean of ALL her impurity with water and the powerful presence of His Word. He has given Himself so that He can present the church as His radiant bride, unstained, unwrinkled, and unblemished—completely free from all impurity—holy and innocent before Him."(Voice).  The Word of God washes us and gets us ready for an accurate picture.  When we allow the Word to change us we will begin to look more and more like our Father God.

Dr. Winston also told us the story are a young lady who wanted to transfer from Spelman College to Florida A&M University.  She was being denied, even though she was a brilliant student and well recommended.  When she and her parents asked why, they were told that the new school did not want to admit her because they were not her first choice.  The leader at Florida A&M learned over many years, that people will waste your time.  Some people want something for nothing.  It's reported that she called these people that will waste your time, "low lifes".   She refused to allow these people in her life, and encouraged her students to evaluate those in their lives.  The young lady was finally admitted, graduated with honors, and went on to get her Master's Degree from the University of Chicago.  The Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy in the same way, "Whatever you heard me teach before an audience of witnesses, I want you to pass along to TRUSTWORTHY people who have the ability to teach others too."(2 Timothy 2:2, Voice).

Life is precious.  Time is valuable.  As we are becoming more like Christ, we must remember to be wise in our dealings.  The writer of Hebrews said, "So let’s do it—full of belief, confident that we’re presentable inside and out. Let’s keep a firm grip on the promises that keep us going. He always keeps his Word. Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching."(Hebrews 10:22-25, Message).

Love and prayers, Cynthia