I don’t know about you, but I can’t look at mankind from this plain outwards in a horizontal view, that takes me under. The desperation and devastation is just too great. The only way to look at humanity is from the heavens. I can’t look at men as they are, I must view them from God’s own view of them. In this, I am looking down on them, but not in condemnation or superiority, but rather as our Heavenly Father sees them.
Our view must be from the heavens as we are seated in heaven. His mind is so much superior to our limited view. And as I join Him in His seeing, I have a witness of eternity and His redemption story.
Earthly Vision
Oh, it is such a temptation to view man with earthly eyes. Man behaving badly can be viewed all about. And it is easy to step into judgment or opinion, all we have to do is lean into self. But this is not redemptive, on the contrary it is destructive. When I am in my own view I just may be standing opposed to God’s own view. Thinking I know only deafens my spiritual ears and blinds my spiritual eyes.
Currently Martha and I are reading a book by Art Katz called Apostolic Foundations. In it he says, “Our apostolic task is to bring an unwanted and unwelcome message to an indifferent world, and it is a message we can only bring in the same proportion that we demonstrate it. It is not enough to be “correct“; we have to come to mankind, as it were, from the eternal place.”
The Eternal Place and View
The eternal place! This is the born-again believers actual dwelling place. Ephesians 2:5-6 says, “Even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” And it is from this very place that we must view our world. This gives me such hope and liberation from “my view.” Even my godly discernment pales in comparison. God’s vision of my world is eternal and redemptive, while my discernment is just a spiritual diagnosis.
Jesus Christ sees the whole, my discernment sees only in part. So I have purposed to wait for His vision of my world and of mankind. It takes time and prayer but it sets you in line with His mind. At that point we can also stand in faith for that view. Even if His vision isn’t physically reflected in the moment, I can stand sturdy in the faith of His seeing. I have learned that those eyes have Love and vision. They see beyond the pain of the moment or difficulty of the situation. God’s view is connected with Christ’s Life to perform. This takes the current moment from an imprisoning confinement to a faith fueled seeing. I want my Father’s eyes about those around me. It brings Life and Light on all situations.
Opinions are a place of constant agitation & unrest…to think them, speak them, to be battered by them. Little picky, blurted out unthinking comments…when we haven’t given our mind to Real seeing…His view outside of every category! And the arrogant intricate strutting opinions that ‘know’. I did not see that they were “imprisoning walls”…the fear in me thought there was safety & security there. If I make my opinions law, nothing can ‘get at me’. The saddest thing is how opinions exclude, not only people, but God! We miss the person…because we miss The Person. “..so who can say if… Read more »
Thank you so much for the confirmation of what I’ve been hearing from the Lord. Much love.