WHISTLER’S PAINTING

By Tin Hubilla

Whistler’s Mother is a painting of a woman dressed in black with a painting in the room. The painter James McNeil Whistler said, “Don’t fit the picture in the room but fit the room for the picture.”

But that’s not how we normally behave. Remember that moment when you go out shopping and you saw this cute wallpaper or a cute decoration and you knew instantly that it would go right in with your room? Or when you saw a pair of shoes that would go well with a particular outfit in your wardrobe? It’s pretty natural for us to look for things that fit in with what we currently have.

But do we try to fit Christ to our current lifestyle too?

In church last Sunday, the pastor talked about how we try to fit Christ’s image to our fancy. We view Him according to how He can fit in to our needs and wants. And according to that image, we find room in our hearts for Christ. When that image doesn’t fit in that room anymore, we make another room or find another room, which is too much exhaustion on our part.

What if we cannot make or find another room?

Where would we go next?

We have got it all wrong. We must fit our heart to the image of Christ, not the other way round.

God is big and surely we want to make a room for Him, worthy of His greatness, a room where God “will make his home in [our] hearts” (Ephesians 3:17) because He has all the space He needs to do whatever He wants in our lives.

Thoughts of the day 🙂

2 replies
  1. Zyrine
    Zyrine says:

    We are the reason why Jesus’ sacrifice is necessary. We are the ones who commit sins and need forgiveness. We are the ones who need salvation. So we are the ones who need to change. By having faith in Him, knowing Him better, and striving to live our lives following His example, it would be easier for us to fit our hearts with the image of Jesus. Our hearts may change but the image of Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

    Reply
  2. Charlene
    Charlene says:

    Thanks for this wonderful article.
    I love what you said that we must fit our heart to the image of Christ.
    It’s necessary to let God be the “driver” of our lives and let Him sit on the thrones of our heart.

    Reply

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