AS GOD SEES - March 6th

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

“When we see ourselves as God sees us, we learn that he loves us for who we are, not for what we do. We are free to befriend ourselves, to treat ourselves as a true friend would, with unconditional grace and support.”

Isn’t that a wonderful promise and truth?

Romans 5:11

Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God—all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for our sins—making us friends of God.

Yet some days it is just seems almost impossible to see ourselves as GOD sees us. We look in the mirror and don’t see anything resembling someone who GOD would consider a friend.

This came up as I was speaking with a new friend just yesterday. She is new to her journey of recovery. And she was sharing how much of a struggle it has been some days. But she shared how someone in the AA fellowship had offered her an incredible breakthrough following a tear filled meeting.

To paraphrase, the fellow AA friend admonished and then helped her to realize that GOD had forgiven her and that she needed to take HIS lead, trust HIS judgment and FORGIVE herself.

For her that was an important and revelatory eye opener.

I wrote about the importance of self-forgiveness a few weeks back, but it bears repeating and in this case bears expanding.

GOD does forgive us.

GOD does erase our sins and cast them away; wipes the slate clean and leaves them in the sea of forgetfulness.

Micah 7:19

He will cast all our sins down to the bottom of the sea.

But GOD also encourages us to go one step further and embrace His forgetfulness more fully by seeing ourselves through HIS EYES; seeing ourselves as HIS friends; seeing ourselves as He sees us, full of promise, potential and destiny!

Ephesians 2:10

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The truth is that if GOD is willing to “befriend” us in spite of our warts, scars and mistakes why are we not willing to see ourselves in the same light?

Are we smarter than GOD?

A tougher critic?

I should think not.

Maybe today is the day you too start to make friends with that fella or gal in the mirror.

The good news is GOD has already made friends with him or her.

John 15:15

I have told you everything the Father has said to Me. I call you friends.

Have a great day!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney