Image vs. Character
Like most moms, I am in my car driving a lot. What is it about motherhood resembling an Uber driver? What I’ve noticed more frequently in my carpool adventures are an abundance of Teslas and Maseratis. I don’t know what’s changed to make those two cars the car of the year around these parts, but it seems every time I am on the road I spot one of these bad boys. Now, I am all for a fancy car. I used to drive the most beautiful semi-fancy car pre-kids. Today I drive the typical mom vehicle: an SUV. It’s almost like a uniform for moms, the SUV. I must admit that when I see these vehicles on the road, the thought of “image” comes to mind. A Tesla and a Maserati all come with an image. Just like the SUV being a piece of the mom uniform, those cars come with a fancy connotation.
Image.
We live in a culture of image. Thanks to social media, image has become ever present and at the forefront of all of our beings. Even before social media existed, image was a thing. You knew where someone came from just by the way they looked. I know when I fly into my old stomping grounds (Orange County, Ca), I am going to see a certain type of people. And when I fly back to Texas, the people will change to match the image of the area.
Image.
It’s important to us. Image gets us in the door for an interview. Image can even land us that job or that deal. Image matters when you are in high school trying to fit in and when you are an adult trying to make mom friends after having a baby. Image is important to all of us whether we readily admit it or not. I wonder, however, if image has taken the place of character.
“So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
I’m going to admit something to you. I care what you think of my home. When you walk through my front door, I care about the thoughts that are flowing through your head. I care whether you like it or not; whether you think it’s pretty and well decorated. I care about the image of my home. Probably a little too much, if I’m being honest. That care got me thinking: Do I care more about the image of my home or the character? Because if I care more about the character of my home than I care more about you. When my focus shifts from image to character then my focus shifts off of me and onto you and your well-being while you are here. Does my home feel welcoming, inviting, and nurturing? Do you feel rested and accepted when you step through the thresh hold? Do you feel loved?
Image vs. Character.
It matters.
Genesis 1 tells us where our image comes from. God, in the beginning of time, created you and I. And He created us in His image. If we believe this, then our image is taken care of. We should never have to worry about our image again if we believe we are created in God’s image. But we do. Why is that?
We’ve lost sight of what needs filling and what does not. Our image does not need a boost. If it did, then God would need a boost and I think He is doing just fine on His own. Our image is secure in the most beautifully exquisite image out there: the image of God. Therefore, we don’t ever have to strive for a certain image. Our image is secure in the One who made the heavens.
So, what does that mean? It means we can stop all the striving and climbing to achieve a certain image and start focusing on our character instead. And honestly, that sounds a lot less stressful to me. Just like when I can exhale a bit as my focus shifts from the image of my home to the character of my home, so I can do the same when I shift my focus off of my image and onto my character.
When I focus on my character, who I want to be, I lose my self-centered ways and can see life outside myself. I can love more, bigger, louder, and better. I can open my grasp and reach for people I didn’t even see before. I become a welcome place to land instead of a hard place to fall.
Character.
It matters.
In a world that has lost its focus and is wrapped up in image, be the one who stands out because you know where your image lies. Character stands when image falls. Character invites when image slams the door closed. You don’t ever have to chase a certain image. Your image is already secure.
You are made in the image of God.
Your image secure.
Now, focus on your character.
Love & Blessings,
Meg