How Can I See Myself as God Sees Me?

I was recently asked a thought-provoking question:  

How can I see myself as God sees me?

It’s a tough question to answer because it’s not something we can fix for someone else. There’s no switch to flip or magic potion to take to gain new vision. However, there is a mindset shift we can each embrace personally and that starts with an awareness of what we’re thinking about ourselves in the first place. For example, in the life coaching class I teach, there is one principle in the session on identity in which we are challenged to consider whether we (or our clients) are defining ourselves by what the Word says is true or if we are impacted by the mirror of this world. 

James 1:23-24 NIV

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

What mirror do you think you’re looking into each day? More importantly, when you walk away from it, what do you remember?

Do you find yourself looking into the mirror in your bathroom or bedroom? What’s the tape running through your heart and mind? Is it merely a practical glance, checking to see if your teeth are clear from evidence of the last meal? Did you check to see if your hair was “in place” or were you lamenting the explosion of greys? How about your muffin top . . . was it tucked in or prominently reminding you to get in those 10,000 steps today? Or did you rate your beauty in light of what the tabloids says is good enough?

We might assume that looking in a mirror is nothing but a fleeting task, but it can actually be a transforming step, depending on what we do with what we’ve discovered.

Think about how you might adjust your actions based on what you witnessed and choose to remember.  Would you take a break from your desk work to do some chair squats to battle that extra few pounds around your middle? Would you’d comb your fingers through your hair more carefully. Would you pass on that poppyseed muffin?

How can I see myself as God sees me?

The way we respond to the mirror provides both insight and challenge for how we ought to interact with the Word.

In the same way we need to make good on what we see in the mirror, or else the glance isn’t even worth our time, we need to be intentional to respond to what we read in the Word. Yes, we not only need to make time to read Scripture, but it takes just as much of a commitment to respond to it when we walk away from it!  

It’s this Word-in-action that will transform our identity mindset. 

Scripture and our identity go hand-in-hand much like a mirror and taking the time to observe our reflection. Rather than it being about “seeing,” it’s about “hearing” and responding, as the Message translation describes:

James 1:23-24 MSG

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.

My friend, seeing yourself through God’s eyes comes through seeing yourself through the mirror of the Word and not the world.

When you put your faith in Jesus as your Savior, believing that He died on the cross for your sins, you are not only given the promise of eternity but also receive the gift of a new identity as a child of the Most High God. You are part of His family, and set apart as holy.

[Tweet “When God looks at you, He sees you through the holiness of Jesus. “]

He sees you forgiven, redeemed, made new.

But, for you to see yourself this way, you need to begin looking at your life through the lens of Scripture and humbly respond to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, who is given to you to be your counselor and guide. The Spirit will reveal to you who you really are–and that’s not defined by what you’ve done or not done, but by whose you are now and forevermore.

So let me ask you a question that gets to the heart of this issue:

What is the mirror you are looking in — is it the Word or the world?

If you’re looking in the mirror of the of the world, you’ll see all your imperfections, mishaps, and mistakes. You’ll define yourself by what you’re not and what you wish you were. You’ll feel like your too much or too little. Guilt, shame, regret, and fear will shape your identity, when the world gets to define you.

When you’re looking into the mirror of the Word, your identity will have an entirely new perspective as a chosen, holy, dearly loved, called, qualified, accepted, one of a kind, daughter of the Most High King.

Isn’t that the identity you want to embrace in the pursuit of real life change? So tell me, what’s the first step God is leading you to take today in order to see yourself as He sees you?

***

If this topic of real life change is important to you, I encourage you to get a copy of Meet the New You

In it, you’ll discover how the Lord revealed to me that
I’m chosen, holy, dearly loved, called, qualified, accepted, and one of kind . . . just like you.

Meet the New You

1 thought on “How Can I See Myself as God Sees Me?”

  1. I started searching and found your message due to hearing the Lord say “see yourself the way I see you.” I’ve struggled and have been through trauma in regards to my marriage of 27 years, now divorced due to repeated infidelity on his part and still walking it out. I feel I lost everything and this is a big piece of myself I need and desire healing to move forward. I love your message and will be studying the scriptures you’ve referenced. Thank you!
    God Bless you and your family.

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