As He Sees It

Photo by: Kelly Sikkema

Recently, I said a prayer. I asked God to grant me the ability to see my life and present situation as He sees it, not how I would like for it to be.  Shortly thereafter, I found that the prayer request stood out in my mind.  I wanted to take a moment and ponder on it.

I think that we all have a tendency to see things generally from one perspective.  However, that perspective often fails to include any other actor besides our self.  I know that I often have the starring role in my fantasy and imagine what it would be like if this or that were to happen. But this is the type of perspective that limits me to just one outcome, the outcome that suits the perfect picture that I see for myself.

I would like to draw a reality for myself that includes only the parts that I think are relevant in making me happy.  Let’s be honest…how many times do you draw a better version of your circumstances, and take into account 10 additional people in your circle, and the individuals connected to them as well?  Not many, I presume.

But let’s get back to the original question:  If God were to grant me the ability to see my life and present situation as He sees it, what would it look like?

As I thought about it, I came to the conclusion that I must look at who God is in order to see it from His perspective.  I John 4, verses 8 and 16, tell me that “God is love”.¹   As I read Chapter 4, I saw that there were many components of His perspective, the “love perspective”, which would alter the way I see my present circumstances and current reality.  I see that He has provided sacrificial love (through His Son, Jesus Christ) and indwelling love (through the Holy Spirit) in a way that compares to no other type of love that I could experience. 

Therefore the weight of my expectations for love, through marriage, cannot compare. To put it into greater context, the expectation for love, in marriage, should mirror this perspective. However, this mirror image should not stand in as an equivalent.  God’s “love perspective” wins out every single time I dare to make that comparison.

If I were to pursue this “love perspective” a bit more, I am sure I would find that there are more parts to the story, than just the parts that I like.  I am sure that I would find a picture that digs deeper and carves out a portrait filled with gifts that are different from those gifts I would give myself.  I would like to gift myself with marriage, but He would like to gift me with peace.  Proverbs 14: 30 (NIV) supports this by saying “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones.”

I am sure that I would find that the portrait being painted is filled with much more than I would even venture to imagine.   So, I want to pose the same question to you, as well…

If God were to grant you the ability to see your life and present situation as He sees it, what would it look like?

Feel free to share your comments. I look forward to your thoughts on this topic.

¹ Unless otherwise indicated, Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™