God's View of Us

God does not view you by your perspective.

We all have good days and bad days; days when we're flying high and feeling so tight and connected with God, and days when we couldn't feel more distant from Him. But in the midst of our fluctuating emotions, through the dynamics of our ever-changing thoughts and feelings, one thing does not change - God's view of our relationship with Him.

When we said yes to Jesus, something amazing happened. God's perspective of us became His perspective of His perfect Son, Jesus. You have been adopted. And just as a parent's child doesn't stop being a parent's child because of something wrong they've done or because of how they feel, so you don't stop being God's son or daughter. Your performance does not dictate your standing; no - Jesus' performance dictates your standing!¹

This is not what life experience has taught us, though. As children we quickly pick up on the disappointment in a parent's eyes. As adults, we sheepishly receive the rebuke over a late project from our manager. It is what many of us are taught: "When you do what I want, I feel happy with you and you can be close to me. When you fail me, a wall goes up until the feelings of disappointment subside or you somehow make it up to me."

But that is NOT how God's kingdom operates, and Jesus helps us to understand this through many of parables and stories he told,

Go and get the poor and the lame. Bring them to my feast. Those who are looked down upon and considered a burden to society, the underachievers - bring them to my table.² There is no cost for the unable to the invitation at His table.

Pay the worker who started at 5:00 PM the same wages as the men who've been working all day. Be as generous to those who rank last as to those who earn first place. God is gracious to those who have not earned it and yet remains perfectly just.³

What about the rebellious son who has come to the end of his rope and sees his great need? Welcome him with open arms. Celebrate over him. He's been won back to the Father's household without a dime to his name.⁴

The kingdom of God contains story after story of those who realize their need and know that God does not owe them anything. God's kingdom is filled with tale after tale of those who experience God's underserved grace and mercy. But this dynamic just doesn't jive with what we know and experience and have been taught. And this is where the Holy Spirit alone can bring a change of mind to our old ways of thinking. It takes nothing short of an eye-opening, mind renewing, repentance of old thought patterns.

God loves you right now, where you are at, and desires you and longs to be with you and bring you home. He delights over you just as much today as any other day. His view of his adopted child doesn't change. And if, as a born of the Spirit child of God, you feel lost or less than, you can know that He isn't disappointed; He isn't removed or distant. His passion for you burns just as brightly right now as it did the first day you said yes to him - no matter how you feel.

Perhaps you've wandered, perhaps you've run, perhaps you find yourself ensnared in all manner of trappings. Hope for you remains. Your Father is waiting for you; not to get cleaned up and earn enough to pay him back, or do something to gain his respect. He is waiting for you to drop your burden and come to him.

We may grow tired, our emotions may get drained, but God does not grow weary. His love pursues us. Can you hear him knocking? He is waiting for you to open the door. He is waiting for you to come home.

References

¹ Galatians 2:16 - yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.

² Luke 14:13-14 - But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

³ Matthew 20:1-16 - the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

⁴ Luke 15:11-32 - the parable of the lost son.