Snapshots in Time
Human nature may have already prompted you to peruse through the photos above, seeking a common thread or a purpose behind the faces. Already, you’ve likely drawn conclusions—not only about the situations presented but about the lives of the people pictured.
Have you ever accidentally opened mail that was not yours?
How did the information inside affect your perspective of the owner?
We may make suppositions of that person’s life:
* For instance, if you opened a collection notice, you would automatically assume that this person in question is NOT good with money.
* If you opened a large hospital bill, you might quickly surmise that this person is NOT healthy.
* If you opened a large brown envelope to find a BRIDE’s magazine, you would easily guess that the person is about to be married and is female. (Unless, of course, you men like reading BRIDE’s magazines!)
If you found a roll of film on the sidewalk and developed it, you would have a nice set of pictures with which to judge the owner—maybe an expensive vacation or a child’s birthday party. From these, you would jump to the conclusion that those pictured were wealthy or were parents, depending on which you found.
In all actuality, all we see are snapshots!
Let’s say, we see a woman in the grocery store:
** If her hair is in rollers, walking in a battered housecoat and slippers, what would our automatic opinion be? We might assume she cares nothing for her appearance, doesn’t have a job, and is a slob.
** However, what if this is the happiest day of her life and she has rushed to the store to grab a few last minute items before her wedding that afternoon?
** Now, let’s say the woman is smartly dressed with every hair in place, wearing expensive jewelry. She walks at a brisk pace so our automatic opinion might be that she is a business woman, successful and confident.
** However, what if she is currently on her way to a divorce court, has just lost her home and family, and is on her way to a bankruptcy lawyer after her court date?
Let’s say, we flip the coin and see a man walking across a college campus:
** If he appears in a greasy, unwashed sweatshirt and old sneakers, carrying a tattered canvas bag, we might quickly assume he is homeless and seeking a handout.
** However, he could quite easily be an eccentric professor whose only desire is to research rather than impress his students.
** Now, let’s say the man is adorned in a nice suit, carrying a briefcase with his hair nicely slicked back. He is clean-shaven so we naturally assume he is dean of the campus.
** Aw, but looks can be deceptive! He might simply be a door-to-door salesman, struggling to make ends meet.
Snapshots…a World of Snapshots
Snapshots: That’s how our lives appear to others and how others appear to us!
Have you ever accidentally opened mail that was not yours?
How did the information inside affect your perspective of the owner?
We may make suppositions of that person’s life:
* For instance, if you opened a collection notice, you would automatically assume that this person in question is NOT good with money.
* If you opened a large hospital bill, you might quickly surmise that this person is NOT healthy.
* If you opened a large brown envelope to find a BRIDE’s magazine, you would easily guess that the person is about to be married and is female. (Unless, of course, you men like reading BRIDE’s magazines!)
If you found a roll of film on the sidewalk and developed it, you would have a nice set of pictures with which to judge the owner—maybe an expensive vacation or a child’s birthday party. From these, you would jump to the conclusion that those pictured were wealthy or were parents, depending on which you found.
In all actuality, all we see are snapshots!
Let’s say, we see a woman in the grocery store:
** If her hair is in rollers, walking in a battered housecoat and slippers, what would our automatic opinion be? We might assume she cares nothing for her appearance, doesn’t have a job, and is a slob.
** However, what if this is the happiest day of her life and she has rushed to the store to grab a few last minute items before her wedding that afternoon?
** Now, let’s say the woman is smartly dressed with every hair in place, wearing expensive jewelry. She walks at a brisk pace so our automatic opinion might be that she is a business woman, successful and confident.
** However, what if she is currently on her way to a divorce court, has just lost her home and family, and is on her way to a bankruptcy lawyer after her court date?
Let’s say, we flip the coin and see a man walking across a college campus:
** If he appears in a greasy, unwashed sweatshirt and old sneakers, carrying a tattered canvas bag, we might quickly assume he is homeless and seeking a handout.
** However, he could quite easily be an eccentric professor whose only desire is to research rather than impress his students.
** Now, let’s say the man is adorned in a nice suit, carrying a briefcase with his hair nicely slicked back. He is clean-shaven so we naturally assume he is dean of the campus.
** Aw, but looks can be deceptive! He might simply be a door-to-door salesman, struggling to make ends meet.
Snapshots…a World of Snapshots
Snapshots: That’s how our lives appear to others and how others appear to us!
The impressions we create or receive through these snapshots are not always accurate but they form the crux for how others view us.
This is why scripture says to “abstain from the very appearance of evil.”
Sinners, church members, even family members do not see the whole of our actions, our heart, our good intentions…all they see is what is visible.
Splices of Time…split seconds of decision….
Often, sinners don’t see you shouting in church worship service or weeping in the altar. They see you when you copy someone else’s homework or reports on the job because you forgot to do your own.
* They see your propriety when you are out to dinner with your sweetie.
* They see you when you cut off the elderly man in the beat up truck because you are late for work. Do you really think your life is so much more worthy of attention than his?
* That is the snapshot they see of you.
Even church people often do not see us at our best.
* They see us complaining about the music or the preaching or the person who stole our pew.
* They see us sneak out the back way when everyone is signing up for door knocking or church cleaning for the weekend.
* They see us fall asleep during the sermon because we chose rather to stay up all night before.
* They see us come to service in such a bad mood that no amount of enticement could force us to praise God that service.
Granted, We All Have Bad Days…
But, it is what we do in these worst of times that defines us in men’s eyes. God knows the heart but men see the snapshots!
We might feel it is not important what people think—a popular sentiment today—but Christ calls us to be ambassadors!
AMBASSADOR: a messenger, servant, the highest-ranking diplomatic representative appointed by one country or government to represent it to another, one on a special diplomatic mission, an official agent on a special mission.
We are to REFLECT the IMAGE of GOD himself!
Hmm, so how are we doing?
Scripture tells us that our loins are to be girt about with truth, our lights burning. That means that we are always on stage!
We are a light set on a hill! Today, I want you to think about the attitude, the qualities, and the person that you portray to others.
Often, we are too busy trying to achieve the big things—career, miracles, buying that next luxury—and we overlook the small things. We look for Billy Cole miracles but neglect the little boy that skinned his knee. We look for singing solo in the choir, but neglect picking up a stray paper towel in the restroom.
Scripture tells us that we must first be faithful in the small things. Then, God knows He can trust us with the larger responsibilities. Furthermore, if we will serve Him in secret without seeking the praise of men, He will reward us openly for our efforts!
Being an example of the believers sometimes seems such a small task that we overlook it. We lose our cool in traffic over getting to choir practice….to supposedly reach the very souls we just ran into the ditch! Oops!
But, this keeping of our appearance is critically important for it is how the lost will view the church and God himself. The way we dress, the way we carry ourselves, our speech, the friends we choose, and the beliefs you live—not simply talk about—are what will define you in those snapshots of time!
Furthermore, we should all be living as one who has hope. You must live like you believe the promises or scriptures says they become void to you and God will seek another!
Your witness, your testimony is what others see of your actions.
** Have you taught others that compromising God’s Word is okay?
** Have you taught others that losing your temper and saying a few choice words is okay?
** Have you taught others that giving less than your best is alright? (And that is at church, at work, at school, and at home!)
Read the Word Again
If these are the essence of your snapshots, you need to rethink who you are.
People should see a transformation in your life. It’s like a butterfly; they should see you every growing, ever changing into the beautiful life that God means for you to be!
We are a peculiar people: called out, separate, yet merciful!

This week, I ask you to choose life! Not just for you, but for those who are learning who God is through watching you and your response to life!
To truly be a portrait of beauty in Christ, we must examine our hearts. Ezekiel 36:26 says, ”A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes…”
Do you want the heart of God today?
There’s a song that says:
Create in me a clean, clean spirit
Renew within my heart a stedfast love, a faithful love
Cleanse me within of all my guilt and sin
I ask you once again
I ask you as a friend
Let your love, your grace, your kindness be mine once again
For I love you, Lord
Renew within my heart a stedfast love, a faithful love
Cleanse me within of all my guilt and sin
I ask you once again
I ask you as a friend
Let your love, your grace, your kindness be mine once again
For I love you, Lord
If we truly love the Lord, we will seek to emulate Him in his kindness, his faithfulness, his grace toward others. Like the three men of the parable who were given talents by their master, we have each been given our own, individual field of souls.
Lord, let us not squander the field you’ve given us because our heart is hardened to their need.
Let us, instead, be that light set upon a hill that you’ve called us to be.