See God

Last Monday the owner of the Utah Flash, a minor league basketball team, hired a Michael Jordan look a like to travel through town with people who acted like his bodyguards. The goal was to create a buzz around town that Michael Jordan would be playing a 1-on-1 match as Monday night’s halftime show. Fans showed up for the game expecting to see Michael Jordan at halftime. When the imposter appeared, fans caught on. They did not see who they needed to see and that caused problems for them, so they booed and left the game.

Not seeing who we need to see causes problems.

Think about the Florida State offensive lineman’s performance at the Florida game. The ball was snapped and Seabrook didn’t move. He held his set position as the quarterback and the rest of his teammates scrambled all over the place. Over 6.5 million people have watched this third quarter play on YouTube. No one knows what was going through his mind, but he obviously didn’t see who he needed to see. He didn’t see his teammate, the quarterback, running around with the ball, and it caused problems.

Sometimes our lives are more difficult than they should be because we can’t see who we need to see. If I could look over my shoulder and see God watching me, I would probably make better decisions. If I could see God working around me, I’d probably get my head into the game and be part of what he is doing rather than standing still doing nothing.

This time of the year should remind us that, in some ways, we can see who we need to see.  Even though God is spirit, he provided a way for us to know him.

In the Bible, Colossians 1:15 reads, “He (Jesus Christ) is the image of the invisible God.” He is the image of the invisible God.

What does it mean to be an image? Some say a representation, or a likeness. However, likeness is way too weak because likeness is not the exact counterpart understood by image. Let’s think of image as an exact representation.

For example, when you look into a mirror, what do you see? Yeah, you see an image of yourself. The image is not just like you, but it is an exact representation of you. When anyone else looks at the image of you created by the mirror, they see an exact representation of you. They don’t see me. They don’t see your best friend. They don’t see Michael Jordan. They see you.

When the Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God” it means that Jesus Christ is the perfect visible representation of God.

You may be thinking, “Yeah, but I don’t see Jesus either. He’s never visited my house.” Well, that’s why we have the Bible. The Bible is a record of Jesus’ life written by men, many of whom did see him. When we read the Bible, we encounter Jesus and thereby see the person we need to see. We indirectly see God. He’s not a look-alike. He is God.

As you go through this holiday season, you are going to see all kinds of crazy stuff. For instance, the other day I was in Home Depot and a man walked by dressed in this red costume. He had a big fake white beard and long hair. I went into a grocery store and a similar creature walked by. I’ve seen signs at banks, “Santa Claus will be here” at whatever date and time. There’s no way they can all be the same guy. I’m very confident the whole Santa Claus thing is just one big hoax.

But, on the other hand, when we think about the little baby whose birth we celebrate this season, we should see him as the real deal, as the perfect visible representation of God.

Now, what difference does this make to you? Well, you were made in the image of God. That means your life should reflect the perfect character of God. You should have a picture in your mind of what it means to live like Jesus. When you do anything that requires focus such as competition swimming, you may have a picture in your mind of what it means to swim perfectly. Just as you visualize Michael Phelps or your favorite swimmer gliding through the water, you can do the same thing outside the pool. As you move through life, ask yourself, “Is what I am doing a reflection of God, or someone much less?” Is cheating on my test a reflection of God (who is holy and perfect and pure), or someone much less? Is visiting certain websites a reflection of God, or someone much less? Is mouthing off to my parents a reflection of God, or someone much less? Is having a bad attitude after a not-so-perfect day a reflection of God, or someone much less?

Make the decision now to live in such a way that your life will be a mirror that reflects Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate this season.