Perspective
Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. {Ephesians 1:4}
Have you ever had something that you loved so much and in spite of the wear and tear, it never loses its value to you? For some it may be a comfortable pair sweatpants branded by the logo of your high school or college. For some, it may be a stuffed animal or a blanket from your childhood. For others it may be an old scrapbook or a picture album filled with memories. Whatever it may be, we are able to look beyond the physical appearance of its wear and tear and see the priceless value. That's exactly how God sees us.
We have all encountered seasons that brought about many changes, and each season produced fruit of its own kind. Some fruit could have been good and some bad. During those changes we may have obtained emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual wear and tear. Knowing this, there are bound to be moments in our walk to where we look at ourselves in the mirror of life and see mostly broken parts. This is so because we are looking in a mirror of brokenness which prevents us from being able to see ourselves the way God sees us.
In Genesis 1 the author shares the history of creation. In verse 26 God says, "Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness…" Now, if we think about the character of God, there is nothing worthless about him. It goes on to say in verse 31, "Then God saw everything that he made, and indeed it was very good."
In order for us to gain this "very good" perspective of ourselves and walk in the likeness of the creator, we have take hold of deceptive thinking. I love how the amplified bible translates 2 Corinthians 10:5. It states that, "We are to destroy sophisticated arguments and every exalted and proud thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God, and we are to take every thought and purpose captive to the obedience of Christ.”
It starts with you changing your thoughts. Your thoughts are seeds that will eventually take root in your heart and produce fruit. Your thoughts are usually watered and cultivated by what you are focused on. If you are solely focused on your broken relationships, debt, family issues, mistakes, failures, etc., you give an open opportunity for the devil to tie those concerns to your identity. You will then bear fruit of fear, depression, anger, disappointment, self worthlessness, and disobedience.
The word of God declares that In Jesus we are made new creatures, and that we’re fearfully and wonderfully made. This is the truth we must focus on. When we believe the lie it separates us from God, the total opposite of what He intended. Your “wear and tear” does not define you. Your value is rooted in God’s unconditional and eternal love for you. He wants to change your perspective so that you can see your true value, and walk in the likeness of Him.
