We Don’t Have to Pose for God.

October 18, 2023

I’m pretty sure we’ve all been in this situation. Whether we are sitting for a portrait or part of taking the family photo at the reunion. The person behind the camera says, “Okay, get ready… one, two, three!”

That’s the point that we all know to put on our best face. Of course, there’s almost always someone either looking away from the camera, or someone’s just got to hold two fingers up behind somebody else’s head, or the one that seems to happen the most, somebody blinks.

That’s why we usually prepare for these occasions.

Depending on the pictures intended audience, we may do many things to prepare for the split second after “three!”

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We may wear our best clothes if we want to look professional for a job bio. We might dress up if we are taking pictures for a wedding, or formal dance or dinner. We might wear our team’s uniform if we’re taking sports photos.

One of the most heard questions right before the picture is taken is, “How does my hair look?” Of course, we want it to look its best. In high-end professional shoots I can imagine hours being spent on getting the subject’s hair just right.

Clothes, hair, position, smile, make-up, background… these are all things we might take great care to have just right for our photo.

Why do we take such great care to get ready for a photo?

Because we want to look our best.

We might be tempted to do the same for God. Do we ever put a lot of energy into making ourselves look our best right before attending a church service? We could have lived our normal live all throughout the week, and then, right before heading out the door to spend time in God’s house, we start to think, “I don’t think I look too good.”

We try to get our minds on the things of God. We may spend time in prayer, asking God for forgiveness for how we’ve lived during the week. We may put on a smile, a friendly attitude, and a positive face—all of which we haven’t had the entire week prior. Like a picture taken of an instant where we look just so, surely the few hours we spend at church will be how God sees us.

I don’t think that’s the way it works.

There’s nothing wrong with preparing for time of worship, but believe me, God knows what we thought, said, and how we acted every second of the time we are not at church.

This is good news!

We don’t have to get “made up” to meet with God. We can be who we are and meet with Him all the time. He is with us whenever and wherever.

This is also convicting. We should always be who God would want us to be. We should daily smile, be friendly (even loving), and stay positive because God is with us.

Look how David said it in the Bible.

“You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.” (Psalm 139:1-6, NIV)

My prayer is that we can be like the pelican. As I took pictures that day, I’m sure the pelican didn’t worry about getting ready for their picture to be taken. She just acted herself and that’s what I got. May we be ourselves and may that be what pleases God.