“To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
-Revelation 3:1-3-
In most cultures, image is very important. These days, with social networking opportunities like Facebook, you can create whatever image you want and project that image to thousands of people. However, that image may or may not have any relationship to reality. With pictures, posts, and tweets, you can show just enough of yourself to give people whatever impression you want them to have.
The social networking tools are certainly different than they were during the time the Bible was written, but the desire to create an image for ourselves has always been there. In Revelation, chapter 3 we read, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent.” The Christians in Sardis had neglected the truth as they poured their time and energy into creating an image—a reputation—by which they became known to others. But the Lord sees the heart and so he knows not only our actions, but our motivations as well. The people in Sardis had received and heard the truth, they just needed to “wake up” and refocus on living the truth.
In Christ, we have something that is worth so much more than an image. We have an identity. We are his children, dearly loved. We have been bought with a price in order to live purposefully on this earth and then eternally in heaven. We cannot completely disregard what others think of us, but we can get far out of balance in how much importance we assign to their perceptions and expectations. The most important thing about you is who you are in Christ. Take your prayer time today to allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen and enlarge that truth in your heart.
Prayer
Lord, remind me who I am in Christ. Help me to see myself as you see me and to live every day grounded in that identity. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Image or Identity | Devotionals | ALTAR Church
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