My dad was a wedding photographer, shooting weddings every weekend of my childhood. It was years before the digital camera was invented, so he would usually arrive home with a few pictures left on the last roll of film (digital generation, please visit photographic film). Naturally, my brother and I became the objects of his use-up-the-film photography, thus, we have lots…I mean LOTS…of family pictures!

Before shooting the pose and the smile, my dad would often stop and clean the camera lens, followed by, “Ah yes, now that’s perfect. Chin up, say cheese!!” Sometimes he’d joke to make us laugh, referring to the bald spot on his head…and ultimately, we looked very happy, loved and relaxed in the pictures he took. This was certainly not because we were perfect kids, but because our extraordinary photographer loved us, knew us and knew how to push our smile buttons.

Ultimately, He would show his photography – our pictures – to friends and family, never speaking of our flaws, only focusing on our highlights. Though he knew our faults better than anybody, you could only hear love ring through every word…just love. I wonder if it was because he kept his lens so clean. <huge grin>

My brother and I knew we were special to him, but my dad made everyone he photographed look comfortable, happy and loved. I’m sure his example is very much the reason I find pleasure in making others feel loved, encouraged and special. And it is also the very reason it saddens me when I do quite the opposite. I can chide myself for days on end when I think I’ve hurt someone’s feelings or have been a source of discouragement.! If you do the same, you will relate to Paul’s words as I do…

So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in Godʼs law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to Godʼs law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans‬ ‭7:21-25‬

We tend to look at ourselves through the lens of what we see in our own thoughts, hearts, and actions…as if looking in a magnifying mirror first thing in the morning. YIKES! We make mistakes, blemishes as it were, and we disgust ourselves. How do I know? I know me…a cracked pot, a broken vessel, damaged goods, but at the same time, HIS vessel, bought by the blood of His precious Son, and now a new creation!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17

Even when I may succumb to my old sinful nature, my Father still beholds me through His spotlessly clean lens. Yes, He looks at you and me through the lens of His perfect, everlasting love. He only sees who we are in Christ.

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah‬ ‭1:18‬

So I say with Paul, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” God not longer sees our sin, but sees us through the lens of Jesus Christ…clean, pure and white as snow. This is amazing grace beyond our comprehension, but fully within our reach when we simply take it by faith and trust Him. We are new because when we come to Jesus and accept His extraordinary, priceless gift of salvation through His shed blood, He takes our sin upon Himself and exchanges it for His robe of righteousness. He suffered all we deserved on the cross of Calvary and gave us all He deserves, a spotlessly clean slate and access to the very throne of God, His Heavenly Father and ours!

We are created in His image, in Christ we beautiful in His sight, and He writes our names on the palm of His hand. I’m thinking that is God’s version of family pictures!

So, chin up, say cheese! 🙂

Romans 7:21-25; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Isaiah 1:18  © 2011-2016 BIBLICA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED WORLDWIDE