Mirrors/Ways of seeing/...

 Of what importance is my way of seeing? How important is my way of seeing people? How important is the way you see yourself? How does God see you? What does he see? Is there any chance that we can see ourselves truly, see how God sees our true selves and then, see people truly and see them how God sees them? (technical I know, sorry)

What if you were more purposeful about focusing on how God sees you, despite you and holding on to that, because would you dare to see and therefore treat people any less than how He sees and treats you? 

I have a big thought that I'll hopefully narrow down soon so bear with me.

“One of the worst things one can do to oneself is not know oneself. The good, the clean and the shady.” - a note to self in my journal from a few days ago.

Here's a snippet from a novel I read titled The Wise Woman by George McDonald.

“... the wise woman caught up the mirror and held it before her (Agnes): Agnes saw her Somebody(saw herself)-- the very embodiment of miserable conceit and ugly ill-temper. She gave a scream of horror that the wise woman pitied her…”

Agnes, is to put simply, you. Or me. The wise woman, a Christ type. The whole notion is that this character, Agnes, has no idea what she looks like because she hasn’t looked in a mirror before and when she finally does, what she sees frightens her...

I find mirrors riveting. The power of a reflection. Are you catching my metaphor? I find introspection and self searching riveting. The power of reflection. Sometimes it takes Someone other than ourselves to help us come to that realization. Someone that will hold the mirror up so you can see. 

“She gave a scream of horror that the wise woman pitied her, and laying aside the mirror, took her(Agnes) upon her knees, and talked to her most kindly and solemnly; in particular about destroying the ugly things that come from the heart…”

Agnes’ despair meets the wise woman's compassion. Her “ugliness” meets the beauty of the wise woman's kindness.

There’s two strong concepts here, maybe three:

1.Not enough of us have looked in the mirror (we don’t know/realise the level to which we lack goodness, our capability to fail and our imperfection).

2.Enough of us are forcing our people to look in the mirror or are looking at the mirror on their behalf. “Look at all these things wrong with you. All the ways you have failed; you sinner.” 

And 3. God ultimately holds the mirror for us because he sees us through and through-est and knows what to do with that (which he sees). We don’t.  I listened to a one minute song that says on repeat,

“You see me

And You know me

And You love me

Through and through”

And He loves us through and through.

What if we were more purposeful about focusing on how God sees us, despite us and holding on to that, because would we dare to see people any less than how he sees us? I don't think so.

Hopefully you see the picture I’ve tried to paint. Maybe you need to look into the mirror; seek to know your own heart. Maybe you need to remember that God looks on you graciously, so that you can then see others the same way. Maybe you need to pursue believing that God actually loves you through and through. Maybe you need to read this article again. Our way of seeing is absolutely important.

Succinctly, I have since dwelling on how much God has been patient with me and kind to me, with who I am in mind, been able to be patient and kind to others when they fail…

And to love them well, perfect or not. 

1 John 4 entirely but with an emphasis on the 11th verse says, "Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we must also love one another."