Through His Eyes

Am I good enough?  How can I be loved by God knowing what I have done?  Do you find yourself judging others when they fail?  Is it difficult to see others as loved by God when they are not acting so loving?  When someone offends you, do you hold that transgression against them for a long time?  Do you have a spirit of perfectionism or criticism?  Perhaps you have difficulty seeing yourself and others through God’s eyes.  

On the other hand, have you ever known someone who you felt completely loved and accepted by – someone who didn’t hold your faults and failures against you?  Unfortunately, many Christians lack this Christ-like love and people end up finding this acceptance in the world and worldly ways.

Without being aware, there are many Christians living in bondage to the sin of pride.  I can count myself as one of the guilty.  Proverbs says that there are those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth and those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful. (Prov. 30:12-13)  Pride sees others as less than they ought to be.  Conversely, love sees others as God sees them – fully accepted and loved by God.  

For many of my adult years, I lived in the bondage of perfectionism.  I based my self-worth on my accomplishments.  If those around me didn’t meet my expectations, I criticized them and eventually gave up on them.  This lifestyle brought me nothing but pain because ultimately no one could ever meet my standards, whether it was a co-worker, relationship, or even my own self.  Time and time again, those around me failed me, and I lost out.  It became a vicious cycle.

It wasn’t until I sought who I was in Christ that I could begin seeing myself as He does.  I was fully accepted and pleasing in His eyes.  Not because of anything I had done, but because of the sacrifice of the Cross.  It took me many years to come to the realization that there was nothing in me that could ever warrant the acceptance of God – no accomplishment, no amount of giving, nothing.  It is only because Christ died for my sins and I accepted His free gift of salvation that I became cleansed and white as snow.  Folks, the only real hope that we have is in the Cross.  

Only when you can see yourself through God’s eyes can you see others as He does.  God doesn’t turn away when we fail.  His love endures.  Yes, He chastises those He loves, and I thank Him for loving me enough to do so.  But I trust Him because I know He loves me unconditionally and only wants the very best for me.

Because of this revelation, I can now see myself and, in turn, others through a new set of eyes.  No longer do I expect perfection in myself or others.  It is the most freeing experience I have had.  When I make a mistake, I know that God says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."  (2 Cor. 12:9)  I will confess that the old man tries to creep in at times and I find myself tempted to judge again, but ultimately, God brings me back around to His way of thinking.

Does this revelation give me a license to sin?  Absolutely not!  It is because I have experienced God’s unconditional love, mercy, and grace that the desire of my heart is to please Him.  Do I still fail at times?  Yes!  But I will never stop pursuing His righteousness.  It’s not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  (Phil. 3:12)  Let God’s grace be enough for you to open your heart to seeing through His eyes.

PRAYER
Lord, forgive me where I have come short of my knowledge of Your love for myself and others.  Help me find my identity and acceptance in You.  I know that it is only because of Christ’s sacrifice that I am made complete.  Help me see myself and others as You see us.  Keep my heart humble and my arms open to loving as You do.  Amen.

Copyright 2010 From My Heart To Yours