Grace in the Eyes of the Lord

“I’d rather have all my teeth drilled at the same time than have my picture taken,” says a friend of mine. “I always end up looking horrible.”

Person in the Picture

I don’t like posing for professional photographers. Their joking is designed to generate an artificial laugh, usually at the expense of someone else in the picture. “Yeah, that’s it. Put your arm around her and pretend you love each other.” Obnoxious!

Then when you get the pictures back you say, “I don’t like the way I was smiling in that picture. My eyes look like I’m sleepy. Why didn’t I comb my hair? Do I really look like that? I don’t like the person in the picture.”

We don’t like looking at ourselves in photographs because we aren’t used to seeing ourselves from the outside. When we look at ourselves in the mirror, we are seeing a reverse image of ourselves. It’s the reflection that we get used to seeing. It’s the opposite of ourselves that feels normal, even though that’s not the way we really look. The way we really look is the way we appear to other people–or the way the camera shows us.

If I could see myself the way other people see me, what would I think of myself? Would I be more critical, or less critical? They say we’re our own worst critic, and that’s probably true. They also say the camera doesn’t lie, and that’s pretty likely as well. So, whether we look at ourselves from our own perspective or from another’s outside viewpoint, we’re liable to be disappointed.

But what if it’s neither our self-image, nor the perspective of others, that matters?

Grace in the Eyes of the Lord

Genesis 6:8 says, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” We don’t find grace in our own view of ourselves—we usually find judgment. Grace is in short supply in the world’s eyes as well. It really is in the eyes of the God that we find grace. When we are finally able to see ourselves from God’s perspective, we’ll have grace for ourselves. We’ll forgive all those imperfections that God has already forgiven.

Your Neighbor as Yourself

If we learn to give ourselves the same grace that we’ve received from God, maybe we’ll be able to extend that same courtesy to others. When Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” he meant that we should find the way of self-love, first. Love of neighbor can grow only when we have found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

Of course, to find grace in God’s eyes, you must know God as gracious. When we believe God to be full of judgment and wrath, it’s difficult to imagine that God could forgive our sins. If we see God as constantly disappointed with us, we’re going to be critical of ourselves. The truth is that God doesn’t believe you can take a bad picture. Like a good parent who loves any picture of their kid, whether goofy or sleepy or proud—God always sees you in the best light. This is what it means to find grace in the eyes of the Lord. No matter what the picture looks like, God is pleased. God shows that photo off to the others in the Trinity and says, “Have you seen this picture? That’s my kid!”

Next Up… “Retributive vs. Restorative Justice: Doing Good to Those Who Harm Us”