See yourself as God sees you

Much of your happiness in life depends on how you think God sees you. Unfortunately, many of us have a misconception of God's opinion of us. We base it on what we have been taught, on our bad experiences in life and on many other assumptions. We may think that God is disappointed in us or that we will never measure ourselves. We may also believe that God is angry with us because, by trying as best we can, we cannot stop sinning. But if we want to know the truth, we must go to the source: God himself.

You are a beloved child of God, says the Scripture. God tells you how he sees you in his personal message to his followers, the Bible. What you can learn in those pages about your relationship with him is nothing short of amazing.

Beloved Son of God
If you are a Christian, you are not a stranger to God. You are not an orphan, even if at times you may feel lonely. Heavenly Father loves you and sees you as one of his children:

"'I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Almighty Lord." (2 Corinthians 6: 17-18, NIV)

"How great is the love that the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that's who we are! " (1 John 3: 1, NIV)

No matter how old you are, it is comforting to know that you are a child of God. You are part of a loving and protective Father. God, who is everywhere, watches over you and is always ready to listen when you want to talk to him.

But the privileges don't stop there. Since you were adopted into the family, you have the same rights as Jesus:

"Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs of Christ, if we truly share his sufferings in order to also share his glory." (Romans 8:17, NIV)

God sees you forgiven
Many Christians falter under a heavy load of guilt, fearing that they have disappointed God, but if you know Jesus Christ as Savior, God sees you forgiven. It does not hold your past sins against you.

The Bible is clear on this point. God sees you as righteous because the death of his Son has purified you of your sins.

"You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounds with love to all who call you." (Psalm 86: 5, NIV)

"All the prophets testify of him that anyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." (Acts 10:43, NIV)

You don't have to worry about being holy enough because Jesus was perfectly holy when he went to the cross on your behalf. God sees you forgiven. Your job is to accept that gift.

God sees you saved
Sometimes you may doubt your salvation, but as a child of God and a member of his family, God sees you saved. Repeatedly in the Bible, God assures believers of our true condition:

"All men will hate you because of me, but whoever stops until the end will be saved." (Matthew 10:22, NIV)

"And whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Acts 2:21, NIV)

"Because God did not instruct us to suffer anger but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5: 9, NIV)

You don't have to ask yourself. You don't have to struggle and try to earn your salvation with works. Knowing God considers you saved is incredibly reassuring. You can live in joy because Jesus paid the penalty for your sins so that you can spend eternity with God in heaven.

God sees you have hope
When the tragedy strikes and you feel like life is closing you down, God sees you as a person of hope. No matter how sad the situation is, Jesus is with you through all of this.

Hope is not based on what we can collect. It is based on the One in whom we have hope - Almighty God. If your hope feels weak, remember, son of God, your Father is strong. When you keep your attention focused on him, you will have hope:

"'Because I know the plans I have for you,' says the Eternal, 'plans to prosper and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'" (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

"The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to those who seek him;" (Lamentations 3:25, NIV)

"Let us hold firmly to the hope we profess, because whoever has promised is faithful." (Hebrews 10:23, NIV)

When you see yourself as God sees you, your whole perspective on life can change. It is not pride, vanity or self-esteem. It is the truth, supported by the Bible. Accept the gifts that God has given you. Live knowing that you are a child of God, loved powerfully and wonderfully.