Seeing Others in a New Light

We recently got back from a family vacation to Bar Harbor, Maine. It was a long drive to Maine, but we made it with our almost 2 year old! In the car, I brought along a basket full of toys. My husband and I noticed something funny about our daughter. If we just handed her the toy she would say her favorite word “NO” and push it away. But if we started playing with it first and oohing and ahhing over the toy she would immediately want it. She would reach out her hands and start asking for the toy.

We just laughed and remarked about how easily we could entice her. Then I thought about it more and I realized even at a young age you want what you can’t have. What is that in our toddler to make her only want a toy when someone else has it? I started thinking about our Adamic nature and how we are born with sin.

Seeing others in a new light. Extending grace to others, even your tantruming toddler can be life changing. Heart of Deborah

I was reminded of the scripture in Psalm 51:5 “For I was born a sinner — yes, from the moment my mother conceived me” (NLT).

That is a hard verse to think about, especially when you think about your precious baby. You want them to be blameless and pure, not automatically filled with sin from birth. 

Over the last few days I’ve been thinking about how I see my daughter and how God sees us. I love her and I want the best for her. But when she is constantly screaming or saying “no” sometimes I focus on the wrong things.

Do you see others the way God created them? Do you focus on their glorified self or the sinful self?

Unfortunately, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), no one is exempt from this besides Jesus. We are reminded in Romans 5:12 “When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned” (NLT). There is no one righteous (Romans 3:10). We all make mistakes. We all have times where we may be difficult to handle or unkind. 

The good news is Jesus can take away this sin that we are born with. When he died for us on the cross, he took the sin of the world on his shoulders. Because He lives, we are free. “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” 2 Corinthians 5:21.

Wow! God gave Jesus our sins so that we may become the righteousness of God. How do we deserve this!? The answer is we don’t. None of us do.

My challenge for you (and myself) is to start seeing people the way God does.

Instead of focusing on a person’s sinful nature, try a new perspective. How does God look at them? God made all of us in His image. 

Now I’m not saying I should ignore my daughter’s bad behavior. Certainly, there is a place for discipline and correction. At the same time, we need to be forgiving and recognize that we all have this sinful nature. We live in a fallen world. If we understood this more, would it be easier to love the sinner while hating the sin?

This week extend some grace to others and start to see them how God created them. You will be amazed at what happens when you stop focusing on the negative and start seeing the heavenly version of the person.

Have you noticed a difference when you change your perspective?

How does seeing others in a new light change things?

 

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