Seeing ourselves through God’s eyes rather than the lens of our past mistakes is a difficult undertaking. I don’t know if you’re like me, but I tend to be my own worst critic. I cheer others on, but beat myself up for similar mess-ups.
Sophia, the main character in my book, Escape and Rescue, also struggles with this concept. She can easily look past the mistakes of others but can’t seem to erase hers from her mind. The problem with this way of thinking is that we begin to identify ourselves as the sum of our past mistakes. When we do this, those mistakes are no longer just mistakes. They become so deeply engrained within our being that we’re incapable of seeing them as something we did. Instead, we see them as who we are.
In Sophia’s case, no matter how many good qualities she bestowed, she simply couldn’t view herself as one of the good girls. She unknowingly equated this lack of goodness with a lack of value, and because she couldn’t see the value in herself, she allowed others to devalue her as well. Bless her heart. 🧡
A different lens – Seeing Ourselves Through God’s Eyes
Fortunately for us, we serve a God who sees us through a different lens – the lens of redemption. While His unconditional love for us doesn’t excuse our mess-ups, it does give us a clear path to repentance and reconciliation with Him. Indeed, He is the faithful Redeemer of our story.
We’re reminded of this truth in Jeremiah 29: 12-13 where we’re told, “You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.”
What great comfort in knowing when we pray to Him, He listens, and when we search for Him with a sincere heart, He makes Himself known to us. As we learn to live in this way, our past mistakes begin to lose their power over us. When we choose to begin the journey of seeing ourselves through God’s eyes. God’s forgiveness continually washes over us, making it difficult for shame to hold us hostage.
God is only a whisper away.
Friend, I don’t know what your current circumstances look like. I don’t know if you’re experiencing blessings in your life at this moment, or if the trials you’re facing cause you to feel anything but blessed. But what I do know is no matter what you’re going through and no matter how you arrived at this place, God is only a whisper away.
Call to Him. He’s listening.
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Click this link to read all of Jeremiah 29.
