Do you see yourself as limited in some way? Do you think of yourself as being less than what you think you should be?
If so, sweet friend, may I tell you to know that your negative attitude will quickly change when you begin to see yourself in the light of how God sees you. It’s an incredible experience to discover how God perceives us, as it shapes our identity and sense of worth.
The beauty of scripture reveals that we are valued, loved, and cherished in the eyes of our Creator. When we engage with His Word, we find comfort and encouragement that guides us through the challenges and joys of life.
Though sin certainly stains and tarnishes our life in many ways, God sees us the way that you and I were created to be and not defined by our events, wrong choices and circumstances. He knows that we are all sinners and fall short because the scriptures tell us this in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
He did not wait for us to repent of sin, get perfect or do anything at all to love us, He just loved us. Even while we are at our worst, He died for us because he loves us that much. When He looks at us, He sees the potential that He created in us to have.
Understanding that we are created in His image is one of the most foundational truths about how God sees us.
This truth assures us that we possess a value and dignity that is not of our own making. As His creation, and through the power of His Holy Spirit, we can reflect His qualities, such as love, creativity, kindness and grace to others as we are called to represent Him on Earth by being His hands and feet.
When we embrace this truth, it not only empowers us but also encourages us to see ourselves and others in a new light. It would serve us well to remind ourselves daily, of our divine origin, knowing that God created and crafted us with purpose.
Now with that being said, it is up to us to make the effort towards reaching that potential, but even in our frailties and weakness, God sees in us the best that we “can be”, when surrendered to His will.
His very word encourages us to renew our minds to His way of thinking and that we put on the new man, which is the new nature that God places in us, as we turn to Christ in repentance for salvation. For it is that new nature in us that seeks to be like God in true righteousness and holiness according to Ephesians 4:23-24.
It is the new nature that allows us to see things as God sees them.
The Bible says that our ways and our thoughts are not His. But once we receive that new man or new nature that comes from God, the dimness of how we see ourselves becomes ever so clear to us and we become humbled and grateful to God for His deep and caring love.
Since God’s love for us is so immeasurable, we need never to feel alone, unloved or unimportant, even in our darkest moments. For it is in those times that God is trying to turn our attention to Him.
Once we surrender our all to Him, how we view ourselves and others will change and a sweet peace and joy will replace those negative feelings that the old sinful nature in us is fighting to have its way. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:10.
Hold Fast,
-Bren
Brenda Parson is a Tate County resident and regular contributor to your Tate Record Church Page.
