| “By the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” |
| —Romans 12:3 |
When you look in a mirror what do you see? I’m told that, if you’re a woman, you are seldom, if ever, satisfied with the image you see in the mirror. While people that love you dearly may look at you with a fondness, appreciation, and deep love that surpasses what you might even imagine, what you see in the mirror appears to you as an unrelenting series of flaws. I wish that were not so. I wish that women would see themselves the way God sees them: as the strikingly beautiful, smart, loving, and kind examples of His mercy, grace, and abiding love that they are.
Likewise, if you’re a man, you may look in a mirror and see only the qualities that mark you as a so-called “real” man. Reportedly, men don’t necessarily see all their many flaws the way women see theirs. In fact, men often tend to see themselves in a much better light than others see them.
For my part, I know that sometimes I am startled when I look in a mirror. Or, more so, when I walk past a storefront window and see all of me at the same time, I am often shocked. “You are a truly strange, fat, ugly, despicable man,” I will say to myself. While most of the time I probably think far more highly of my intellect than my intellect exists in reality, that brief glimpse in the storefront window quickly dispels any notion I have about any reasonable aspect of my own attractiveness. Again, that is not how God sees me. And, while I may have difficulty comprehending His reality for me, I am so very grateful that it’s true.
The Apostle Paul offers these words of instruction, found in Romans 12:3:
By the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
Our identity—that is our true identity—is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. We need to strive to see ourselves through His eyes. His love for us does not cloud His vision. Rather, His love for us gives Him the clearest possible vision of all the qualities He enjoys when He looks at us.
As we move out into another day, let’s remember that our identity is not judged by any mirror, nor by what anyone may think about us. Rather, our identity is determined by God’s view of us—seen through His eyes of love. And that, dear ones, should bring each of us great comfort.
Based on a blog originally posted on Monday, October 15, 2018
