Reimagining Your Vision of Perfection

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I don’t know what kind of flowers these are, but I like them.  They aren’t anything like flowers I would draw. My artwork would have rounded edges for the petals and soft lines. I would likely pick a more dynamic color as well. The center usually wouldn’t show or would be a smaller feature than the prominent center of these posies. These flowers are pretty, they stand out, but they are not what I imagine when I close my eyes and think the word flower.

I’m pretty sure Christ didn’t look much like the man I immediately picture either. There’s always that vision of a soft, kind-hearted man with flowing brown hair and wise smile that comes to mind.  This image also frequently includes his gentle hands reaching out or lightly placed on someone’s shoulders. Yet that’s not how scripture describes Him.

“The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
    a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
    nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
    a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
    We looked down on him, thought he was scum.”
Isaiah 53: 2-3 The Message

It is difficult for me to read this passage because it is hard to believe. The very Son of God walked upon this earth looking pretty rough.  He was not born into a prominent family and He didn’t have a glow around Him.   If He stood out at all it was in a way opposed to our imagination. He had rough hands from carpentry work. He didn’t dress very nicely and probably got quite dirty walking down dusty roads.  He probably smelled of sweat and dirt. He was considered a laborer on earth, not royalty, and He looked the part. He likely didn’t have a lot of opportunities to get His hair cut and beard trimmed.

He was perfect, but that doesn’t mean He had great hair and clean laundry. God’s priorities for perfection are not the same as ours. Remember that when you feel a little rough around the edges, you’re likely closer to God’s perfection than you think!

Text Copyright Richelle Hecker

Photo Copyright Victoria Hecker