Everyone has a personal image (who they think they are), a private image (who they look like behind closed doors), a public image (who they look like to others), and an actual image (who they truly are). Each one is unique and the first three are part of the last one. All of these can have positive aspects and negative aspects. If there are more negative than positive aspects, that particular image becomes negative, and all the other images begin to become infected.
This is NOT true of God. The only negative image he can hold is the public image, and this does not change who he thinks he is, who he is just to his followers, and who he actually is. When natural and social disasters happen, many people ask, “Why did God let this happen if he is good?” God’s public image becomes stained.
Side Note: God’s actual image and personal image are the exact same think. Since he knows all things, he knows exactly who he actually is and thinks of himself that way.
Unfortunately, there is also another way God’s public image becomes negative: his children. The very people how are his ambassadors and supposed to be his hands and feet on earth are also the people who sin and cause others pain in the name of Jesus. We are supposed to be helping God display his positive image, and instead, our shortcomings cause others to question his righteousness and love. As our Romanian host, Raul Costea, put it, “It’s a tragedy. God is accused because of us.”
While I’m sure God is saddened by our sin and the fact that people reject him because of us, here is the positive side. God will never stop loving all people, and he is such an infinite being that a little negative public image cannot hurt his thoughts of us, or himself, or change his plans for the world in any way. Somehow, he will use our sins, and the hurt we have caused others, to show his love and power and care in even stronger ways than we could ever do for him.
Thank you, Lord, for never letting go, no matter how we let you down.
#GodIsInControl #redefiningdisciple
#THIRD
