Sometimes the obvious comes and hits me upside the head, accompanied with exclamations that run along the lines of, “I can not believe I hadn’t thought of that before!”
Generally, the way my mind works, the Motown-sounding backup singers in my head sing staccato tones of “Duh-duh. Doo-duh-duh. Ba-by! Duh-duh…” You get the point.
I had a moment like this a couple of weeks ago talking to a friend I adore. We were discussing the numbers of pastors who report that they have seen little of God’s “transforming power.”
She then began reminiscing on the transformation she’d witnessed in my life.
See, I have a history. I have a solid, ‘churched’, family-full-of-preachers history, followed by doing all I was supposed to do going to the Christian college, studying lots of Bible, and so on.
That was before what I affectionately refer to as my ‘unchurched-of-the-world-years’. There were a lot of those years. I was still searching though, and had returned to my good church-going ways for some time and then it suddenly clicked.
As a photographer, I like when things click. The click is the sound of the shutter in my brain capturing beauty, art, truth, and usually love. It clicked. I saw it. Things have never been the same, and I haven’t looked back.
My friend described the change she saw in me this way:
“You’re more ‘you’ than you ever were before. But you definitely see things through a different lens now.”
Click! “I can not believe I hadn’t thought of that analogy before!” “Duh-duh. Doo-duh-duh. Ba-by! Duh-duh….”
The part about ‘you’ being more ‘you’ made complete sense to me. That is what happens when we die to self and give everything to God. In a twist we don’t expect, He gives us the personality, talents, and even the desires He created us with, and now we get to fully experience them directed and used for higher purposes.
This, by the way, blows my mind. Just in case you were wondering.
I have talked with people about seeing others as God sees them, viewing their circumstances the way God views them. Never once had I considered the lens.
And then there’s this. If we’re to try to see things more and more through God’s lens, that includes the way we see ourselves.
I don’t know about you, but I need God so desperately. I am intimately acquainted with what I’m like without Him. He definitely brings my sin to my attention.
But one big change, for me, is not only to try to see the world and others through God’s eyes…..but to see myself that way to.
To view myself through God’s lens, I feel His love, His comfort, and His peace.
And there, I find rest.
“Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave. – Psalms 86:11-13
Do you need to change lenses? In the way you’re looking at a circumstance in your life? At other people? How about in the way you view yourself?
Leave a Comment
Holley Gerth says
Deb, yes, I love how you said that God actually makes us more of who we are when we give ourselves to Him. Isn’t that such a beautiful surprise? It’s clear you see Him in your life, your heart, your words and you have captured that in a way that helps us do that too–the truth you shared is like a wonderful photo I’ll frame and keep in my mind.
Linda Thomas says
Thank you for your insights and powerful, delightful message. I especially resonate with your words: “The part about ‘you’ being more ‘you’ made complete sense to me. That is what happens when we die to self and give everything to God. In a twist we don’t expect, He gives us the personality, talents, and even the desires He created us with, and now we get to fully experience them directed and used for higher purposes.” I love the joy there is in that. You touched my heart when you wrote of viewing yourself through God’s lens, feeling His love, comfort, and peace. You blessed me today! I’ll share your message with others.
christy says
thanks for the great post…umm i think my lens seems to be ok when it comes to other people, but the lens when it comes to myself is so messed up…but i am working on it…loved the scripture in this post…
Stacey says
I love when it “clicks” with something in our life that we can relate to. God is so creative…so many times we box Him in and He is just waiting to truly give us His eyes!
Blessings Deb. Loved this!
Deb Owen says
Hey all! My apologies. I’ve been having computer probs and so haven’t been online much lately but fortunately saw comments come through my email. 😉
And by the way, I have to admit that *sometimes* my lens is much clearer/better when directed at others. But unfortunately, for me, I sometimes lose focus in that direction as well…..but continue to pray that He help me view others (and love them) as He does…and it’s utterly amazing what happens then too.
Thanks for all the encouragement! I’m so happy it touched you guys.
Love!
deb