I’ll never forget walking the streets of a small village in the Netherlands late one evening. Huge picture windows welcomed passersby to view what was inside. There were no closed blinds or drawn shades here…only an invitation to take a look at the wares pridefully displayed inside. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the ornate living quarters and meticulous landscaping framing the windows. It was a work of art! Quite different from other cultures who seclude themselves behind closed doors lest anyone get a glimpse of what resides inside.
It made me wonder about the exhibit in my life’s window. Can I proudly pull back the curtains to display the beauty of a life transformed by Jesus Christ? Or am I afraid of exposure, of people seeing the real me hiding behind a masked facade. One of the greatest compliments anyone can receive is that Jesus is seen in them.
Jesus prayed that God’s glory would be on display in Him and that His life would be on display in his disciples. Is the life of Jesus really on display in His people? How do we live to give God glory? I think it’s all about giving a correct estimate of who Jesus is. Do I have my Father’s eyes? Do they reflect His love and compassion? Do my ears hear the cries of injustice? Do others smell the fragrance of Christ coming from me? Do my words and the way I choose to live my life make me look like Him? The disciple John said that the moment God is seen in him, God’s glory will be on display. We give God glory by showing others what God really looks like.
Maybe it’s like the genes and heredity thing within the generations, traits passed down from parent to child. We all love hearing that our children look like us. Our oldest granddaughter looks just like her daddy with her auburn hair, fair skin and freckles. Her sister and little brother favor mom’s side with smooth tanned skin that never dons a burn. It’s obvious who they belong to! I love it when children look like parents and generational traits repeat themselves…especially when you like the results!
But there are times I don’t look at all like my Heavenly Father or His Son, Jesus Christ. I might hide behind pride or insecurity. Jesus accused the Pharisees of caring more for human approval than for God’s glory. It’s easy to take on a people-pleasing posture, worrying more about what others think rather than obedience to God’s call. But Christ won’t be seen in me if I’m constantly striving for human approval. That’s a sure way to hide the character of Christ in me.
The older I get the more I desire to obey God rather than man. I’ve struggled all my life with being a people pleaser. God is teaching me to set boundaries. He’s teaching me to leave the results of my obedience to Him. The key is to stay connected to the Vine. Only then can His wonderful attributes emerge from my life to exhibit His glory. So I choose to walk in the Light and not hide behind masks or closed curtains. I want to be a display of His splendor. I want His character to be exhibited in me. Are you comfortable lifting the blinds to give a correct estimate of Who Jesus is? Go on, give Him some glory!