What Does God Look Like? by K. Denise Holmberg

In the featured post, I tell the story of when my five-year old granddaughter, Ellie, discovers she can ask Siri any question she wants. Unfortunately, she learned she could ask, but not necessarily get the answer she hoped for. Tough lessons of childhood. 

But her first question to Siri—what does God look like?—has been percolating in my mind.

What DOES God Look Like?

Genesis tells us we are created in his image. The Hebrew word for ‘image’ is tselem and translates: an outline or representation of an original.

Like our shadow outlines us, the original, we outline God.

Following this ‘bunny trail’ … outline means line that shows shape.

Shape means: the external form or appearance characteristic of someone or something

We are the external, the outside form of God with his appearance characteristics.

Huh?


Immanuel … God With Us

It has always been interesting to me that there is no physical description of Jesus. A babe, lying in a manger, swaddling clothes … a carpenter … a storyteller … Rabbi … teacher ... healer ... miracle worker.

Nobody dwelled on what he looked like. Only on what he did.

As a writer of fiction, I know that physical details are paramount in a character driven story. It’s important to readers to be able to picture characters clearly.

Since he’s the author of the universe—if God wanted us to dwell on Jesus’ looks—the description would have been there.

I believe he wanted us to dwell on Jesus’ character.  And not get distracted by his looks. 


Jesus was compassionate. He healed, he fed the hungry, he wept. He had a mission and was focused. He came to serve and not be served (Mark 10:45). He was: humble, kind, selfless, merciful, patient, honest, loving, and a strong leader. 

He was obedient to the Father. Submissive to his will even when it led him to a horrific death on a cross.

“Your will … not mine … be done.”

That is what God looks like.

When we become true Christ Followers and imitate his behavior ... when we see these characteristics in ourselves and others—I believe—we look upon the very face of God.


What do you think? What does God look like to you? 


Blessings!

Denise

He who often thinks of God, will have a larger mind than the man who simply plods around this narrow globe. J.I. Packer



Comments

  1. Linda Brooks DavisJune 17, 2016 at 9:55 AM

    Thought provoking. Sometimes I pray to look more like Jesus--to have Jesus' eyes so I'll see what he would see if He were standing in my shoes. And look like Him to others. But I need a serious spiritual face lift.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Author KD HolmbergJune 17, 2016 at 12:23 PM

      Precious Linda! We all need to look through Jesus' eyes. Can you imagine what a sweet world this would be if we did? Spiritual face lift for me too!! LOL

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Looking for an Adultier Adult by K. Denise Holmberg

Image
First It Made Me Laugh This Facebook post, by a friend in her early thirties, made me laugh. I remember when I realized I was an adult. Do you? For me, the light went on when the lights went out. The pile of bills I accumulated to “worry about later” had reached great heights. An adultier adult, my mother, told me she actually paid them each month and on time. Imagine that.                                                                                                                                                                                 I realized I was an “older” adult when the pounds I put on during the holidays no longer magically melted away afterwards. I was actually referred to as a middle-aged woman. Ouch. Then It Made Me Think That was mentally and physically, but what about spiritually? There is a lot of truth in the idea of looking for an “adultier adult” in the spiritual realm.  A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of having
Read more

The Long Goodbye by K. Denise Holmberg

Image
Alzheimer’s. It cannot be prevented, cured or even slowed. It's estimated over five million Americans currently have it. Including my mother-in-law, Doris Holmberg Wolters. As we face, what someone called ‘the long goodbye', I want to share some of her spiritual Doris Holmberg Wolters insights from days gone by. As you read her words, keep these thoughts with you: She was raised as a latchkey kid in a poor Boston neighborhood. Her father was a drunk and a scoundrel. He abandoned his family when she was very young. She struggled financially most of her life, was widowed in her early sixties, landed in a wheelchair in her seventies, and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in her eighties. Through it all ... her mantra in life has always been, “ choose joy .” The Struggle by Doris Holmberg Wolters Butterflies by Doris Holmberg Wolters Oh dear, so that’s the culprit that has been feasting on the fruit of my labor. A caterpillar just made lace out of the lea
Read more

A Shepherd's Christmas Story by K. Denise Holmberg

Image
Shepherds and Angels Aaron jerked to his feet. “Lo, what is that light in the night sky?” Samuel looked at me anxiously. “Yes, what is it Micah?” he said.  A single star sat on high above the small village of Bethlehem. It was so bright it was unnatural.    "It's nothing," I lied. I shuddered and felt for the dagger at my side. I knew it was an omen ... a sign of something to come ... good or evil. But this was the first time my young cousins had charge over their flocks. I didn't want to scare them. I wanted them to love their occupation and their new abode. Even if these isolated pastoral fields would sometimes keep them in loneliness. Samuel was stout in heart and limb and more watchful than most. He was much like me that way. Aaron was thin, but strong and tall with a keen mind. He would have been more suited for the priesthood, but his father’s sheep needed a shepherd. They both held a strong hold on my affections. We sat down by fi
Read more