Tuesday, November 24, 2009

What does God look like?

I got thinking of this, because I have been wanting to create a new image in my head of what I see of God.  I have learned that how you picture God (physically and otherwise) comes from how you see your parents. Unfortunately, every time I try to picture God, I see my dad, and it's not good. So, I started coming up with a new image of what God really is. I also did an image search on Google for pictures of God (like I've done in the past on Jesus), just to see what comes up. Most of the pictures that people make to represent God, they depict Him as old, grey-haired, angry and unhappy. I believe these are all wrong. Here's my thoughts. Maybe we can all come up with a new image of God! 

1)OLD: If God was old, He wouldn't be eternal. God created time for us humans, He doesn't live in time. One thousand years to us is a day to God. But we can only comprehend time, and something or someone having a beginning and an end. If something has a beginning, then as they grow older (or like God, are around for a long time), than they begin to age, and will be old and look old. This isn't the case with God at all. We can not comprehend timelessness, which is where God is. He has no beginning and no end. Therefore, He does not age or grow old. Which leads in to the next point.

2)GREY-HAIRED: Our aging process is a result of sin. It is an imperfection. If we were still sinless, we would not age either. Originally, man was created in God's own image (Gen 1:26-27), and so man also was originally immortal (Gen 2:16; 3:22). Adam's life first began at what is now considered adulthood, possibly in his 30's. Jesus' ministry began at 30 (Luke 3:23), and He died and was resurrected at 33 (becoming immortal). And what humans just so happen to see as physical perfection is youth! But not to young, though. If you ask the older generation, they usually say they would like to look 30-something again. So, 30's is about right. And, seeing as how we are created in the image of God, we can conclude two things:
I) our being created in the image of God also extends to other aspects than just the physical, such as mental and emotional. So, there is a reason why we see this age as perfection, because we are instinctively seeing things the way that God sees them, and created us to also. But, because of sin, we have lost the privilege and ability to have physical perfection. II) Again, if man was created in God's image, then God if we were to see God, we might think Him to look as if He were in His 30's (if He were like us and aged). He has no sin, no imperfections, no beginning and no end. He does not grow old. The Bible does make mention of how it is not possible to look directly at God because He is so perfect, and we are sinful creatures (Exodus 33:20). The only mention of God's physical appearance is more than we are able to comprehend (Ezek. 1:26-28; Rev.1: 14-16). Jesus is a good example of what God looks like. We can get an idea of God's physical appearance by looking at Jesus. The Bible also tells us that He looks like His Father, in Col 1:15 & 19, and Heb 1:3. This again makes me think that God would possibly appear in His 30's, because Jesus was in His 30's during the time that people learned of Him being the son of God.
3)UNHAPPY OR ANGRY: Yes, God does get angry and unhappy with certain individuals, situations, etc, and probably even with each one of us at least once in our lives. But I don't believe He sits up there constantly angry, or with an angry, unhappy look on His face. For a couple of reasons, A) God is love (1 John 4:8). He loves us (John 3:16). Love is patient and forgiving. It makes no records of wrong, but rejoices in the truth (1 Corin 13: 4-8). That doesn't sound to me like someone who has a permanent frown on their face! That doesn't sound to me either like someone who stays constantly angry at us!
God rejoices in us when we do good, when we come to have a relationship with Him, when we love Him and others, and for so many other reasons. When you rejoice, are you angry? Are you frowning? It's kind of hard to be happy and angry at the same time!
B) God has a sense of humor. I mean, look at the Okapi and the Duck-billed platypus (if they don't show God's sense of humor more than anything)! Watch children - Jesus said to let the children come to Him , and pretty much that we should be more like the children so that we can enter the kingdom of God, because His kingdom belongs to those who are like children (such as these) (Mark 10:13-16)! Listen to a child's innocent sense of humor; watch a child dance and play pretend. How can such a loving God, who loves children so much, not smile and laugh! And, seeing as how there has been children since Adam and Eve had the first ones, I know God has not been able to stop smiling and laughing. Watch kittens, puppies, birds, and any other animal for that matter, and watch them play! God loves to watch the children and the animals, or else He would not have made them that way!
And again, God made us in His image. We have the same emotions and feelings that He does. We have happiness, laughter, joy, love, humor, etc. Who else could have given us such wonderful emotions, besides a loving God who wants us to be able to be happy and laugh with Him? That's what we do in a relationship with someone, right? We enjoy each other, we smile and laugh at each other. We want to make each other happy. So, I believe God is smiling. Even when we make Him sad or hurt His feelings, God is patient and forgiving and loving. He still finds pleasure in us!
So, now God has been giving me a new image of Him. He has used these things that He showed me, and a few different things. I look forward to the time when I completely get the negative images out of my head, and begin seeing wonderful images every time I close my eyes and look at Him. Hopefully, if someone else has negative images too, then maybe this helps them to see God differently also! I know I don't want my kids to have a negative image of God in their minds. It's important to me to fix mine, so I can help them with their's.

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