"What does God think when He looks at you?" (Aug 16th)

One of the things that ends up affecting us Christians more than anything else is how we would answer this simple question: “What does God think when He looks at you?” This really ends up being a strong driving force in our life.

Should be how God thinks of us.

How we think God thinks of us.

That can often end up being very different.  Like the father of the prodigal son, what we think God is thinking about us of often so much less than what is actually in His heart. A child may be ashamed of their mistakes when their parents punish them, but the parents still gaze upon them with a deep love.

If I imagine God like a harsh sports coach or a mean teacher or a demanding parent… I’m gonna live in fear of failing Him, of upsetting him, etc.

But as we saw in today’s Gospel, God doesn’t treat us that way. Jesus, in testing this woman’s faith, also gives his disciples a chance to see things from God’s perspective instead of their own fallen one. He helps us all to see, in the example of this woman, that no one is unimportant to God. All are his children.

God doesn’t think we are bad or evil; He doesn’t think we are damaged goods; He doesn’t define us by our mistakes, our failures, or our sins.

HOW DO YOU THINK OF GOD? WHAT BAD IMAGES OF AUTHORITY HAVE CORRUPTED YOUR IDEA OF GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU?

“What does God think when He looks at you?” If you don’t see Him gazing upon you with love, you have the wrong image. Ask the Lord to help heal that and transform it.