Today's Devotional Thought
May 11, 2012 by Rachel Piferi
The Heart
Are you someone who sees others' faults or do you see their beauty?
I had a conversation with someone recently and in it, I was telling this person how I saw her. How I saw Jesus in her and how much I see a beautiful, godly woman who loves others, gives of herself to others, and is constantly striving to become more Christlike.
And to me she laughingly said, "Well, you're just blind."
I laughed with her on the outside, but on the inside I was saying, "Nah, I'm not blind. I truly see a beautiful woman of God developing right before my eyes."
And friends, I think that is how God sees us too.
When we are striving to become more Christlike and are really striving to please the Lord, I think it is easy to get tripped up in all of the places that we fail. We snap at our kids, don't show love to our husbands, or find ourselves gossiping about someone who hurt us one day and we start to beat ourselves up. We start thinking we are not nearly the women we should be. A recent Sunday School lesson or sermon or devotional points out some area of weakness in us and we sit down, head in hands thinking we are never going to get this.
Surely, God is disappointed in me.
Surely, I should be holier than this by now!
And then a friend tells you how beautiful you are and you shake your head saying, "Oh if she only knew how far from godly I am."
If there is anything I know from reading the Bible, it is that my God is wildly in love with me and he has a beautiful plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11). He desires that I live in complete obedience to him and out of that obedience he will bless me beyond my wildest dreams (Ephesians 3:20). I also know that as I strive to be all that he has for me, I will make mistakes. Mistakes that I really hate as I am striving to be more like Jesus (Romans 7:15). But those mistakes don't surprise God. In fact, he is so full of mercy and grace that he fills all of my weak places with his strength and goodness so that I can have all of the blessings that he has promised me (Philippians 4:13).
He loves me so much that he works with me {and in me} through all of my mistakes. He just asks that I earnestly follow him with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength (Luke 10:27).
Do you remember how proud you were of your child when they stumbled across the living room for the first time. Just a couple of steps and then they fell. Picked themselves up. Stood unsteadily and then took a couple more steps.
You likely cheered and clapped and smiled so big when your child moved forward, even though stumbling. Your heart likely just swelled as you watched your child moving forward determined and gutsy.
The same is true of God.
It says in I Samuel that God sees deep into the heart, while man only sees our outward appearance. God sees our striving heart when others may just see our stumbling. God sees our gutsy determination to become more like him. Even though we falter, stumble, and fall, he smiles and cheers and claps when we pick ourselves up and move forward. Determined to be more like him.
And that, my friends, is a godly woman.
One who has a heart devoted to walking in his ways. One who may stumble across the living room every now and then, but picks herself up and continues walking to the arms of her loving Father.
When I tell someone that I see a beautiful, godly woman in them, I am choosing to see them as God sees them. I don't want to be a person who camps on others' flaws. I want to be a person who camps on others' potential and determination and strivings to be more like Jesus. Because dear friends, I believe that is loving like God loves.
God is wildly in love with us and extends grace and mercy as we are moving towards becoming the woman he wants us to be. And he sees us as beautiful because he sees our hearts, our determination, and our earnest strivings.
Show others that kind of love today. A love that sees their inner beauty despite any outward flaws. A love that cheers for them and believes in them as they pursue all that God has for them.
December