WHY DOES IT MATTER TO US HOW OTHERS SEE US?do they think I am nice?
do they think I am pretty?
why don't they laugh at my jokes?
how did they misunderstand what I said?
why don't they like me?
You know the routine. The questions that swirl around in your head every time you are in a room full of people:
~why does that one in the crowd seem to snub you?
~why does that one in the meeting seem to challenge your decisions?
~why does that one in the crowd seem to really misunderstand your heart?
How many times have we left a room full of people, and instead of thinking on the positive remarks we hear, we camp on that one person who spoke negativity about our presentation or that one person who spoke negativity into our life.
Our presentation was wrong. Our shoes did not match the outfit. A different direction in our decision would have been better. We spoke too soft. We talked too loud. Our joke was ridiculously dumb. We did not do it like they would have.
Recently, when something similar to this happened to me, I had to stop and pause and ask myself..."Is this truly how others see me?" I was brought to my knees as I sought answers from my heavenly Father, and I asked Him this question..."Do others see me like this?" And in His sweet loving way, He said:
"This is not how I see you!"
Jesus Christ was spit upon. He was mocked. He was beaten. He was betrayed. He died.
All of this was done for me and for you. We were undeserving. We were sinners.
All of our sins were nailed to that cross on Calvary. Our imperfections. Our misgivings. Our faults. Our bad decisions. All of it was taken upon the stripes that Christ bore.
WHY?
Because God said ... "This is not how I see you!"
He sees beyond our sin ... and in us He sees good, He sees beauty, He sees forgiveness and love.
LUKE 23:34 "Then Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
God sees us for who we really are, long before we see it.
Remember this next time you find yourself in a room full of people and one in the crowd comes against you. Remember... nobody in that crowd died for you ~ Jesus Christ did!
and that is a piece of my heart on this resurrection week!
Laurie, I have thought every single one of these thoughts and internalized almost all these questions. I've laid awake in bed at night many times trying to figure out why this person or that person did not approve of me or seem to notice me at all...
ReplyDeleteI would venture to say this is the case with many, which is why this post is perfect. WE NEED TO HEAR HIS TRUTH ABOVE THE ECHOES, AND OFTEN!!!!
Once again, God used you to reach me at the perfect time. Thank you, dear Laurie, for always taking a stand on the stuff that matters most.
Laurie, what a great post. I am glad God sees us through the cross!
ReplyDeleteOn another note -- no, I didn't eat my husband's Chick-fil-a. LOL You were the 2nd person to ask that. I ate their delicious grilled chicken garden salad -- my hubby eventually ate the chicken sandwich and fries! Ha. But for a while he was too shaken up. LOL Poor thing. (snicker)
Love!
b
I read this weeks ago and it impressed me greatly. Just wrote it in my journal. Thank you for the reminder to look to God for how He sees me.
ReplyDelete