“…they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” Romans 1.25

Have you ever been misunderstood? Misrepresented? Mischaracterized? Falsely accused?  It’s a uniquely painful experience, one that never feels good.  I think it’s safe to say we have all been through experiences like that.  And, if we’re honest, we’ve also been the ones who have misunderstood, misrepresented or made unfair judgements about other people.

Ironically, perhaps the most misunderstood person in the universe is the One who created it.  As I was pondering this unfortunate reality, an image came to my mind of God sorting through endless piles of drawings and paintings that represented how people saw him.  And as I watched him going through the stacks, I envisioned him saying to himself, “No, that’s not it; no, that’s not me either; no, not even close.” How heart breaking this must be for him, and yet, God’s love for us remains unfettered, uninhibited, unabashed!

One of the greatest travesties of human history is this fatal exchange: the truth about God for a lie.  Paul’s description of this tragic human tendency in the first chapter of Romans reveals one of the greatest obstacles to a life-giving relationship with our Creator.  Sadly, many of us do not see or accept him as he truly is.  We have believed so many things about him that have nothing to do with his true character and nature.  Many of these lies remain hidden, though, under the superficial veneer of things like man-made religion, traditions and other futile attempts to make God in our own image.

We have some great news though, unbelievable as it may seem.  God has given us a perfect picture of Himself.  He has given us His son, Jesus.  You won’t find a more complete reflection of God than you find in Jesus.   This is Good News!  We don’t have to grope around in the dark trying to find him anymore.  We can stop our futile attempts to piece together an image of who we think he is or what we think he is like.  God, the Father, in Jesus, says, this is who I AM, this is what I AM like.

And what we see in Jesus is breathtaking. It’s beautiful.  It’s the Truth about God.  Jesus shows us the peerless righteousness and holiness of God, the unparalleled love and compassion of God, the perfect balance of justice and mercy, the depths of goodness and the oceans of kindness… it’s all there in Him.  When we see Jesus rightly, you can’t help but be captivated by the Glory of God which he alone carried in all its fullness.

Why is it, then, that we so often exchange the Truth about God for a lie?  I’m sure there are a multitude of reasons, but I’d like to propose three general ones: 1) Whether we’re conscious of it or not, we prefer to make God in our own image, which allows us to control the relationship and to do the things we believe are best for us, 2) We are surrounded by misinformation about God, even within the church, which can naturally lead to confusion and distortion, and 3) The eyes of our heart can often get clouded by resentment, disappointment, pain, bitterness, shame and condemnation that have not been properly dealt with, removed or healed.

Despite all these potential pitfalls in seeing God accurately, he never wavers on how he sees his children. He will always see us through the lens of his Son Jesus.  Incredible!  Not only that, but we have everything necessary to improve our vision of Him.  We have Jesus, who is the Truth about God (John 14.6, 9), and the Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth, helping us see Jesus clearly (John 16.13-14).  Lastly, we have a place to take all the things that can cloud the eyes of our heart.  We can take them to the foot of the Cross, where Jesus overcame our greatest enemies, bringing freedom and healing.

God is committed to helping us see him as he is and ourselves as we truly are.  He stands patiently behind his children and tenderly, gently, lovingly helps us to get closer and closer to the image of Jesus being reflected in our picture of Him.  If we only knew just how beautiful this God of ours truly is!

Thank you, God, for helping us to see you as you truly are.  And thank you for helping us to wash away the lies that distort our perception and our experience of you.  Lord, by your Spirit, let the lies fall before our eyes and the Son of Righteousness rise like never before!