Session 17

Learn to see yourself as God sees you

From Letters of Paul: 30-Day Bible Study

Before Jesus set us free from sin and death, we were alienated from God. The chasm between us was too much to overcome on our own.

This estrangement is why nothing the world offers seems to satisfy. No matter how much money we make, how much influence we gain, or how many awards we receive, it’s never enough.

But through Jesus, we are vindicated. He has presented us "holy and blameless and above reproach" (Psalm 17:2).

Jesus comes in and renews us. He reconciles us with God! He removes our sin and restores our relationship with our Creator (Colossians 1:22-23). For the first time, we realize our worth. The God of the universe knows us. He calls us His kids, and He hears our prayers (Psalm 17:6).

The problem is that we often forget the chasm is gone. We dwell on our sordid past and daily pitfalls instead of the God who "has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins" (Colossians 1:13-14).

We’ll always feel defeated if we’re focusing on all the ways we still fall short, instead of who Jesus makes us. When God looks at us, He sees brilliance. He sees holiness. He sees blamelessness.

Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean we’ll never mess up again. Notice, Paul doesn’t pray for the church in Colossae to never make a mistake. He prays that they would live in their new identity and increase in their knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).

Ever met someone who believed the bully who called them "dumb"? They heard it so often, they stopped trying. Their grades dropped, and soon, they had evidence to back up the belief: "I am dumb." A bully’s words became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The same is true for us. What we believe about ourselves and our God will shape who we become. The more we believe that we are who God says we are, the more our actions will begin to align with this new identity.

Reflect:

• Go back through Colossians 1, and read it as though Paul was writing directly to you. Who does he say you used to be? Who does he say you are?
  
• What do you need God’s help with today? Take a few minutes to cry out to God like the writer of Psalm 17.