Who Do You Look Like?

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.  “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” Philip said to Him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father." - John 14:6-9

In John 17 Jesus said that He and the Father were one and prayed that just as they are one that we too would be one. In other words indistinguishable. When people see you - who do they see? Not what you look like physically -  all of us are unique in that regard. But who do they see in the way you live and love?  

Later some ethnically gentile proselytes (converts to Judaism) approached Philip asking to see Jesus.

"Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” - John 21:20-21

If someone asked you that question could you answer like Jesus answered Philip? "If you have seen me, you have seen Jesus. Jesus and I are one." Two examples in my life. One good and one not so good. I think I was a teenager when I did something that my mom didn't like. She had divorced my dad when I was 2 years old. She said "Don't do that you remind me of your father". Obviously there she still harbored emotional pain from the divorce. I loved my dad and my mom so that put me in a difficult place. Her pain was an inescapable scar from a broken marriage. To this day I don't know what "that" was but I tried not to do it again anyway. 

The second - as a teenager I worked in my step-dad family's store. They made mattresses and sold furniture. I would wait on customers when I wasn't building box springs or making deliveries. On some occasions the people would ask, "Are you one of the brothers? You act just like them."  I would just smile - to avoid a complicated answer. But the fact was - I did act just like them. I was a Pierson proselyte if you will. 

As I get older I wonder about my life today - am I still a witness? Do people still see Jesus in me? I met with a friend who is also a director of a non-profit ministry just this week. Among other things we talked about what a great privilege we had been given to live the life we have and are living. Both of us are, like Paul, living with physical thorns in our sides. Reminding us that we must continue to look to God as our sustainer.  I told him I planned to burn out - not rust out. Along those lines, as you get "long in the tooth" don't let people put you in a pigeon hole and declare you of no earthly or spiritual value. I was reading in Psalms this morning.

"The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him." - Psalm 92:12-15

So if someone watched you live your life who would they say you look like? I hope it's Jesus!

Think about it – Pray about it – Believe it – Walk in it. Let your light shine and give God the glory. 

By Faith Alone By His Grace Alone And For His Glory Alone