Who Do You Look Like?

“You look just like your mom did when she was your age.” Family members had told me this repeatedly, but I didn’t believe them.

Then one day my mom found a picture from her eighth-grade year. She excitedly brought the photo into my room to show me. With her petite frame and long blond hair, I felt like I was looking into a mirror.

We don’t have to try to look like our parents. Whether it is our mother’s hips or our father’s nose, we inherit many of their physical features automatically. But how closely do we resemble our Heavenly Father? When people look at me do they recognize me as His child?

Scripture says there is one thing that identifies us as followers of Christ – our love.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34-35 NIV)

People will identify us as Christians if our lives reflect our Father’s love. What does this love look like? It is resting in God’s peace during times of stress. It is forgiving our enemies and praying for them rather than seeking revenge or harboring anger. It is being kind and patient with others even when they are not. It is putting the needs of others before our own.

1 Corinthians 13 paints a clear picture of this type of love in action.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NIV)

When we exhibit this type of love, people notice these qualities because they are not the world’s typical responses. These behaviors do not originate from our sinful natures. On our own, we could never love others as God does. This type of love can only come from the Holy Spirit.

It is when we love others the way that Christ does that we most look like Him. Do others see Jesus in us? Let’s try to live our lives in such a way that others will say, “You look just like your Father.”

Copyright © Belinda Elliott, used with permission.