WHAT DOES GOD SEE IN YOU?
When looking into a person’s character, one can find a host of character traits, ranging from one being of a kind and gentile heart, to another having a nefarious (wicked
and even criminal) heart. However, for one to know such things about a person there has to be some intimate knowledge of the individual whose character you describe. As we begin to talk to people over a period of time or engage in social activities, work,
or etcetera, we begin to form opinions of which we either accept or reject; associate or dis-associate regarding the person. Most of us do not even realize we employ what has become an in vogue process known today as vetting.
Knowing who a person is, will determine your relationship or non-relationship with that person, simply put you will either click
or not. People see people in a variety of ways, some good, others bad, or just indifferent; in whatever way we see a person determines our association with or our rejection of, and even how we engage our actions with people. We either exercise a level safeguards
to protect our vulnerability or as one might say I can let my guard down and just be me. People look into others to see if there are threats, hidden agendas, comfort ability, like ability and this list could go on and on.
My question however; is this, we often are concerned what others see in us, or what we see in them, but, ‘what does God see in you?
Does God see you as indifferent to what He has predestined for you, does He see one who is appositionally defiant to His will or does He encounter your will in alignment with His. These are some questions you might
want to answer or even ask yourself. We all at some point in time wonder what someone thinks about us, whether or not we acknowledge it or not, based upon our presentation of self to them! I would say that one of the main reasons one would be concerned about
what another see’s in us, is for the reason of acceptance; for most want to be accepted and we tend to do things to garner acceptance by the ones we want to see us.
Allow me to use an example to help illustrate my point: the example comes from Luke 19:1-10 where you will find a man by the name of Zaccheus, who was small in stature, and by occupation he was
a Chief Tax Collector in Jericho, and what people saw in him was a person who by the very nature of his occupation was an unscrupulous fellow who would defraud people to collect taxes above and beyond what was actually owed and pocket any taxes above what
was an actual amount the tax payer should have paid. Tax collectors were despised seen as evil traitors, working for the Roman Empire, and not for their Jewish community, tax collectors were corrupt. During Zaccheus’ day, there a was very lucrative production
and export of balsam which was centered in Jericho, and Zaccheus’ position would have carried both importance (status) and wealth.
When you
read the story you will find that Zaccheus heard that Jesus was coming to his city and he wanted much to see this Man Jesus. Therefore, he arrived early before the crowd who also wanted to meet with Jesus, when He would be passing through Jericho on his way to Jerusalem. As already described, Zaccheus was small in stature, and not to be overcome with those who were taller than he, he climbed up a sycamore fig tree so that he might be able to see Jesus. When Jesus came to the area where Zaccheus was up in the sycamore tree, He paused looked up into the branches, and called Zacchaeus by name, and
told him to come down, for He going to visit his house. The throng of people mainly Jew’s were taken aback by Jesus’ gesture, and wanted to know why would Jesus, a Jew, associate Himself with or move with audacity and be the guest of a tax collector,
at his house no less.
What the people saw in Zaccheus, was a man who was a traitor working for the Roman government, stealing from the taxpayers and had
a good life for himself. What the people saw was a man who had a occupation that no self respecting Jew would pal around with, for a tax collector could not be trusted. These Jews saw the evil, but Jesus saw something totally different; exactly what did Jesus
see? One must understand that Jesus’ perspective is not like mans wherein we disassociate ourselves, but Jesus associated with all people, for the purpose of bringing them to a life converting faith in God!
Jesus’ ways were not as man would see, man would see contamination through association, but Jesus would see undeserved love and
acceptance. Jesus also saw that Zacchaeus was a descendant of Abraham and that he would publicly repent for his acts of corruption, Jesus saw that Zaccheus would promise to make restitution for fraudulently obtained taxes to all he had cheated. Zaccheus would hold a feast at his house. Jesus saw in Zacchaeus’ heart that he would be a good steward
by pledging to make a fourfold return for wrongs committed and giving half of his possessions to the poor. Good stewardship is the result of a new life committed to serve Christ.
What does Jesus see in you, does He see a totally reformed life that witnesses to another that you cannot be judge or classify one because of association with the excluded, rejected sinners. Does Jesus see in you the dramatic change
that can take place regardless of your association as witnessed with Zaccheus, he exhibited true repentance and conversion which was the beginning point of his discipleship. Discipleship involves service to others, not unjust treatment to amass material wealth
or worldly gains.
Does God see in you a Pharisaic stubbornness to the law that did not determine His elect remnant of Israel, just as God saw a heart
that would repent in Zaccheus, we should pray He see’s in us a repentant heart that will commit to God. We must understand election does not point to people who have achieved righteousness. It is only in Love and through Jesus Christ God elects sinners
and saves them from a life-style of sin and alienation.
Jesus saw as His mission the leading of people to a saving relationship with God the Father. Such a relationship
delivers us who He sees as having a heart that will yield to the will of God, and exiting from the sin and selfishness to service of God and other people. Does God see in you the willingness to let your will be His will for your life, so ask the question of
yourself, What Does God See In Me????