What God Thinks About Us
Few of us would like to see our thoughts written out for all to read. We are fully aware of the evil thoughts that would be spelled out revealing our deepest, darkest secrets, kept hidden from even those who know us best. Although these thoughts are hidden from those around us there is still one who knows. He’s the one who created us…God.
It’s not a comforting thought therefore most identify themselves in one of four categories:
- The person the public thinks we are
- The person we think we are
- The person family and friends think we are
- The person God sees
The last is usually the most disturbing and covers us with shame and guilt because we know there’s no way to hide our flaws. Human praise and self approval amount to nothing. Deep down we know we are not as good as those who love us think we are. Because we hide the truth about ourselves, they only see what we want them to see, so they know only part of the truth.
The truth is what others think of us forms our own self image and affects the way we act. Who can honestly say, “I don’t care what others think.” We do. In fact, we are inclined to live our lives according to how we want others to see us. We constantly worry about what other people think. But how often do we wonder what God’s opinion of us is? Many tend to avoid that question.
Unfortunately men are often harsh and will judge us accordingly. But, how does God see us? That’s always the final question and the only one that really matters.God knows the worst in us, but also the best. Paul said "I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he who judges me is the Lord."That means we can trust our lives, to God's judgment, even if they’re full of defects and flaws.
What does God think when we fail? Does he think were losers and no there’s hope for us? The Bible answers “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” ~Zephaniah 3:17 NIV~
When we were young most of us were taught God was to be feared, that He had strict standards and failure to live up to them meant an eternity in hell. However, as we matured and studied His Word we learned God is a Father of everlasting love, whose will is no one should perish and calls us His children.
In the Gospels we see Jesus didn’t condemn people in order to make a point. He reached out in loving concern and that was his consistent pattern. Jesus didn’t lecture or rebuke people for their bad attitude. In seeing how Jesus views us we get an idea of what God thinks about us.
There’s a story told about a passerby who stopped to watch Michelangelo working on a sculpture in its beginning stage and still resembled a huge shapeless piece of rock. He asked the sculptor what he was doing. Michelangelo said he was releasing the angel imprisoned inside. Isn’t that what God is doing with us? Apparently, God thinks more of us than we think of ourselves.
He knows what we secretly think, even when lying through our teeth and smiling. He knows our every movement, when no one else notices. God knows our frustrations, disappointments, angers, dreams and character. Someone once said “A friend is someone who knows all about you, and likes you anyway.” Wouldn’t that make God our best friend?
