From the devotional book Jesus Calling:
"I want you to experience the riches of your salvation: the Joy of being loved constantly and perfectly. You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. ... Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul." ... Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love."
Oh how I must grieve God with my actions. I am constantly judging myself. If only I wasn't so scatterbrained. If only I could lose those last 5 pounds. If only I had more control of my finances. But God doesn't love my if onlys...God loves me. The core of me. The person he created me to be. With all those things I perceive as imperfections. Can a perfect God, with perfect love, create an imperfect being? I don't think so. Yes, we are imperfect...but that's not by God's design - that's by man's (Adam's) choice. God loves each of my quirks. He created me that way with a purpose.
Here's a summary of the rest of the devotion: Stop using your energy to judge yourself and start using it to praise Me. You are who I want you to be. Could we tweak some things? Sure. But that doesn't change my love for you. No matter how many changes we still have to make...my love for you is perfect and unending.
Is this how my husband sees me? Is this how my child sees me? Despite all those "imperfections" their love for me remains constant. And if their earthly love can remain constant, how much more can my Creator's?
It's time I look at myself through a different lens...God's lens. Not my eyes, not the worlds eyes...God's eyes. My lover, my cheerleader, my encourager, my supporter, my Creator. I want to start seeing myself the way he does. Not as an imperfect being, but as a perfect being constantly seeking to be more like my Jesus.
And that's Jesus' Calling for me today!!!
"I want you to experience the riches of your salvation: the Joy of being loved constantly and perfectly. You make a practice of judging yourself, based on how you look or behave or feel. ... Instead of trying to "fix" yourself, fix your gaze on Me, the Lover of your soul." ... Remember that I see you clothed in My righteousness, radiant in My perfect Love."
Oh how I must grieve God with my actions. I am constantly judging myself. If only I wasn't so scatterbrained. If only I could lose those last 5 pounds. If only I had more control of my finances. But God doesn't love my if onlys...God loves me. The core of me. The person he created me to be. With all those things I perceive as imperfections. Can a perfect God, with perfect love, create an imperfect being? I don't think so. Yes, we are imperfect...but that's not by God's design - that's by man's (Adam's) choice. God loves each of my quirks. He created me that way with a purpose.
Here's a summary of the rest of the devotion: Stop using your energy to judge yourself and start using it to praise Me. You are who I want you to be. Could we tweak some things? Sure. But that doesn't change my love for you. No matter how many changes we still have to make...my love for you is perfect and unending.
Is this how my husband sees me? Is this how my child sees me? Despite all those "imperfections" their love for me remains constant. And if their earthly love can remain constant, how much more can my Creator's?
It's time I look at myself through a different lens...God's lens. Not my eyes, not the worlds eyes...God's eyes. My lover, my cheerleader, my encourager, my supporter, my Creator. I want to start seeing myself the way he does. Not as an imperfect being, but as a perfect being constantly seeking to be more like my Jesus.
And that's Jesus' Calling for me today!!!