Image is Everything
It was 1989 in the Nevada desert. Nineteen-year-old tennis sensation Andre Agassi opened the door to a white Lamborghini, stepped out, looked at the cameras, and uttered those now-famous words, “Image is everything.”
Agassi was the poster boy for the Canon Rebel camera. His long hair, sunglasses, and hip outfits were the perfect match for the company’s marketing program directed at younger buyers. Little did Agassi know that those words would haunt him for years to come as he failed to fulfill the expectations of the tennis world in winning major championships. He was criticized for a poor work ethic, relying solely on his obvious talent but lacking in diet and conditioning. The good news is he finally turned it around and went on to become one of tennis’s great players.
How important is image? I suppose that depends on what is meant by image. Who we appear to be is not nearly as important as who we really are. Character is the gold buried beneath the surface of our outward appearance in the eyes of others. But here’s the thing - even we don’t know whether that gold is real gold or fools gold until it is tested.
Consider these words from James 1:2-4: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Why in the world would anyone consider life’s struggles and trials to be a source of joy? Because James tells us, they test our faith, producing perseverance or staying power, if you will. And that staying power is what builds character.
In a parallel passage, the apostle Paul tells us to “glory in our sufferings” because they produce perseverance, which, in turn, produces character. (See Romans 5:3-5)
I cannot tell you that I’ve gone through life leaping with joy every time I have suffered. Maybe James and Paul did, but for me, their words are hyperbole, meant to drive home an important truth - who we really are is seen in the crucible of life. I have no desire to repeat a single trial I’ve experienced in my life. Neither do I look forward to those I’ve not yet encountered. But here’s what I do know - I’m a better human being, a more faithful servant of God, stronger, more resilient, and reflecting the image of Christ because somehow, by God’s grace, I’ve made through some tough times.
And that’s God’s goal in your life and mine, to make us more into the image of Jesus. We often quote the words of Romans 8:28 when going through life’s struggles —
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
The problem is we seldom read the next verse, which tells us exactly what that purpose is -
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
That’s the good. That’s the gold produced and uncovered in our lives through trials and tribulations.
In that respect, image is everything. God’s image, reflected through us as we become more and more like Jesus. So, stay the course. Mine the gold of character that God is creating in the mine shafts of your spirit.
In Christ,
Dan