Our minds are like art galleries.  A curated collection of images line the walls of our cognition and comprise our perceptions of ourselves, the world and even God.

Some of these pieces of art may have been crafted long ago in the style of the renaissance classics. Some designs may be more contemporary, abstracts with the bold asymmetry, bright colors and shapes. And some renderings might still be in the earliest stages of composition, sketched in pencil waiting for more permanent oils or acrylics to be applied.

Lately I’ve come to see that in some ways my mind’s picture of the Lord isn’t a trustworthy reflection of Him, more of a crude caricature than an actual portrayal.  I’ve let culture or even my own heart apply strokes to the canvas that are inaccurate and misleading. 

I’ve realized that the unconscious, skewed imagery of Him hanging in my gallery impacts my everyday life.

If I’ve pictured the Lord as aloof, with crossed arms, waiting for me to jump through the right hoops, then I’ve prayed as if I’m trying to coerce Him into answering favorably.

If I’ve pictured Him as a good teacher, offering suggestions for a happy, successful life that are completely optional, then I’ve prayed as if he’s a wimpy, easy-to-disregard bystander and my prayers lack power, conviction or hope.  Why even pray to a powerless god?

If I’ve pictured him as a god with no moral absolutes, who makes no demands on how I live, then I can’t expect him to be just.  A god with no standards can’t be trusted to right wrongs on my behalf.

So, it’s safe to say that our misconceptions of the Lord have great bearing on how we live.

Please don’t misunderstand – He is the Artist, not us.  I absolutely, 100%, DO NOT believe that I can concoct some snapshot of “god” that fits into my preconceived notions of Him.  I can’t decide for myself who He is or how He is based on my own desires.   We are created in His image…not He in ours.  Our modern world tempts us to think that we can invent or contrive the kind of god that fits our own longings and appetites. But when we do, it is most certainly not the One True God, the God of the Bible.  We don’t just make Him up.

So…how can we know if the image of God in our minds is a genuine illustration of Him? 

Oh, my friend! I am SO glad you asked!

If we want to see God (the Father) for who He is – to understand His nature and His personality, then we look to God (the Son). The Bible (which can truly be trusted as historically accurate) says that Jesus is the “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) and is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of his nature” (Hebrews 1:3).  When one of His friends asked Jesus to “show them the Father,” His reply was basically “You’re lookin’ at Him!” (John 14:9).

This leads to the question: what vision of God hangs in the gallery of your mind? Is He a wimpy pushover with no impact on your life? Is He an impossible-to-please curmudgeon? Is a smart but irrelevant sandal-wearing guy with good advice? Is He just one avenue among many to happiness and heaven?

I’d be most pleased if we could go on a “field trip” together and take a look at what Brennan Manning calls the “Gospel Portrait of Jesus.” In upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing from Jesus’ biography, the Gospels in the Bible. We’ll put ourselves in the stories so we can walk alongside Him, seeing for ourselves who He hung out with, how He interacted with people, what His priorities were to get a picture of what He is like.

As we remove layers of dust to reveal any ugly, false images that may be hanging in our galleries, I’m confident that He will restore to us an authentic impression. 

I hope you’ll take this “journey” with me. In my heart’s eye, I can see Him glance over His shoulder at us, smiling as He paints, pallet in hand, pleased to make these much-needed alterations.

Stay tuned!