If I Loved Him More

From: Young Christian: Volume 19, 1929

• 1 min. read • grade level: 6

“If I loved Him more I should paint Him better.” So said a great artist to a visitor in his studio.

She was looking upon one of his pictures in which he had sought to portray the face of our Savior. Earnestly he looked at his visitor’s face to see what effect the figure produced upon her. She admired it; and then it was that the artist expressed himself:

“If I loved him more I should paint Him better.”

Now, no human artist can rightly picture Christ’s fair face and form. “Thou art fairer than the children of men” (Psa. 45:2²Thou art fairer than the children of men: grace is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. (Psalm 45:2)). “Yea! He is altogether lovely” (Sol. 5:16¹⁶His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem. (Song of Solomon 5:16)).

No, not upon canvas, by pencil and brush, can Christ be depicted. But upon the hearts and in the lives of His people, the Spirit of God is presenting something of the grace and beauty of the Lord Jesus.

And may we not each say that “If I loved Him more, I should express Him better?” Would it not be so that if we were more constantly in His presence, more devoted in heart to Him, more faithful to His interests here, we should paint His features more truly in our lives?

Click here to show subject links in the text for more information.