Making an Impression

First impressions are important, but they are not everything.  Speaking for myself, faithfulness in a friend over the long haul is more desirable over a good first impression.  I cannot count the amount of times my first impression of someone or of a thing was completely incorrect.  We take care to make a good impression upon people.  Have you ever thought of the impression we make on God?  Jesus astonished multitudes which remain to this day, yet scripture reveals He marveled on two occasions:  over the lack of faith of people (Mark 6:6), and over the great faith of a centurion (Matthew 9:10 & Luke 7:9).  Our faith or lack thereof makes an impression on God.

God can be impressed.  For example, Cornelius was a devout Gentile who placed his trust in God, was generous with his money in helping others, and prayed always.  Acts 10:3-4 reads, "About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, "Cornelius!" ⁴ And when he observed him, he was afraid, and said, "What is it, lord?" So he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God."  Cornelius was a man who feared God and served Him faithfully.  The demonstration of the faith of Cornelius came before God, and God sent an angelic messenger to tell him so.  Cornelius was not just one who made a good impression before men, but one who impressed God through his faith, loyalty, and service.

People will go to great lengths to impress others, yet how many are there who seek to impress God through devotion and service - not that they would be recognised with an angelic visitation - but because they are compelled by faith and the love of Christ?  2 Chronicles 16:9 tells us the eyes of the LORD go to and fro throughout the whole earth because God is seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to Him.  When His eyes pass to and fro over your life, thoughts, and actions, will it give Him that impression?  To be seen and recognised by men is a little thing indeed when compared to God's perception of us.  Let us labour therefore not to be known by men, but that our prayers and devotion would come before God as a memorial and make a good impression on Him.