If only you could see yourself like I see you

When I look at people I meet every day, there seems to be two categories - there are the people who are always putting themselves down, who have little sense of their worth. Then there are the people who are always building themselves up, who seem to have a bit too much of a sense of their worth. 

Anyone else noticed that?

I think I usually fall into the first category. I'm pretty good at highlighting my negatives. I think one of the reasons for this is that I’ve always thought that saying good things about yourself was not humble. It seemed to be one of the things that got hammered into us at Sunday School – it’s wrong to be proud, we must be humble. And yes, of course that’s a good lesson, but I think I grew up with a bit of a distorted feeling about what humility was. To me, humility was everyone else being better and more important than me. It was putting myself down. It was not volunteering for things because other people could do them better. It was not admitting when I was good at something or did something well, because that was pride…

What I’ve come to realise is that those self-deprecating attitudes and actions are not humility. 

I think humility is seeing yourself as God sees you. 

If we have a proper sense of who we are and therefore who others are and if we act out of that, surely that’s the kind of humility that God wants. 

Not sure how God sees you? 

“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

When I read this, I see myself as a newborn baby, fast asleep, knowing that nothing can harm me because my father is watching over me. I see a smitten father watching over me, bursting with joy, barely able to contain himself because he is so taken with me. He jumps for joy, sings a happy song and has a smile that takes over his whole face. Because of me.

“No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. 
But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married.” Isaiah 62:4

I’ve always thought that, if it weren’t such an ugly name, I would call my first child Hephzibah (sorry to any of you Hephzibah’s out there). Because, even if it is a mouthful, it means ‘my delight is in her’, and I think that is the most beautiful meaning I’ve heard (this is from someone whose name means ‘lover of horses’). And because I know that feeling of being deserted and desolate, the thought of being delighted in feels like fresh water on parched lips.

“Five sparrows are sold for just two pennies, but God doesn’t forget a one of them. Even the hairs on your head are counted. So don’t be afraid! You are worth much more than many sparrows.” Luke 12:6-7

I have a couple of really good South African friends whose last name is Sparrow. In one of my meaner moments, thinking I was hilarious, I read them this verse. Thankfully, they took it as a joke. If I ever needed proof that God cares about me, surely this verse is proof – he cares enough to know how many hairs are on my head, although I hope He’s not counting the grey one I found yesterday (why do I have a grey hair in my twenties?!)

“For we are God’s masterpiece.” Ephesians 2:10

God is a God who loves to create. Look at a sunflower, look at a waterfall, look at a giraffe! He loves to create and He created me. And you. And He is not disappointed with his creation. We are his masterpiece. If He was going to display something in The Louvre, it would be us. That is how proud He is of us, how much He loves us.

So, go for it, you delightful masterpiece. 

                                           See yourself as God sees you 

                                                                         and live out of that place.