How Does God See You?

Do you ever look at yourself and think you are “less than”? Less than the other mom who always seems to have her life in order and whose kids excel at everything? Less than the other salesperson who receives the annual sales award … every year? Less than the other preacher whose church grew 48% last year while yours didn’t?

What I tend to hear from many preachers is the proper rebuke, not of “less-than” thinking but “more-than” thinking. And for good reason. Scripture warns us repeatedly not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3).

This is a struggle many of us face, even if it’s the subtle comparison of being more right, correct, righteous, or holy than “others,” usually defined by anyone with whom we disagree. Jesus tells the story of “The Pharisee [who] stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector’” (Luke 18:11). 

So, yes, “more-than” thinking needs to be sniffed out and snuffed out as followers of Jesus.

But the longer I live, the emerging issue I see repeating itself in the hearts and actions of many Christians is an acute indisposition of “less-than” thinking. We view ourselves as less than what Jesus wants, less than what we should be (if we were a really good Christian), less than desirable to Jesus and thus to others … and to ourselves.

To counter both our leanings toward self-aggrandizement or self-deprecation, we need to reclaim the imago dei redeemed by the blood of Christ. We were created in the image of God, and though our sin has brought death (Romans 12:5), Jesus has brought “the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness” (Romans 12:17).

Therefore, we should not think too highly of ourselves, because without Jesus, our lives are spiraling toward death and destruction. But we also should not think too lowly of ourselves, because Jesus loved us so much that He chose to go to the cross and redeem us (Ephesians 5:2).

How does God see you? Not more than you are, but also not less than you are. He sees you right as you are, His son or daughter whom He loves and for whom He gave His one and only Son. The trick is to stop seeing yourself any other way than the way God sees you.

On two different occasions, Matthew records God the Father saying about God the Son, “This is my beloved son with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17; 17:5). Throughout the rest of the New Testament followers of Jesus are called by the same name 52 times. Think about that. 52 times! The Greek word, agapētos, literally means “esteemed, dear, favorite, beloved.” 

Consider this: If God called His one and only Son “Beloved, Esteemed, Dear, Favorite,” and YOU are called by that same name 52 different times, how do you think God sees you? Less than? No. God sees you right as you are … His son or daughter whom He loves and for whom He gave His one and only Son. You are His esteemed, dear, favorite, and, indeed, beloved. You are. Scripture declares it.