What Do You See?

Summertime.  Queens Anne's Lace, and those bluish purple flowers grow wildly along the roadsides.  Honeysuckles perfumes the air along the wooded area by my house, and dandelions dot lawns and medians.  Most people see weeds.  Invasive, unwanted weeds.  But I see beauty. I see color and joy in these hardy, grow anywhere plants.  They make me smile.

As I saw the Queen Anne's Lace all along the parkway today, I got to thinking about how we see things compared to how the Lord sees things.  While we look and we see weeds, He looks and sees flowers.  And I think that may be the same with us.  While we see faults and failures, He sees beauty and building blocks.  He sees our problems as opportunities and our failures as stepping stones.  He sees our weaknesses as a way to keep us connected to Him, reminders that we cannot do it alone.  Paul was told by God that his weaknesses were to be for God's glory, that they would show the power of Christ's work in his life. 

2 Corinthians 12: 5-10  That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.  8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The ugliest event in history brought about the most wonderful of deliverances.  The Cross.  Horrible.  Brutal.  Bloody.  But oh the victory that came from that day!  What the world saw when Jesus was crucified was not what the Father saw.  The world saw death, but He saw life eternal!

There are quite a few character traits I would love to eliminate instantly from myself.  But then where would God be in that equation?  If I could immediately transform, then I would not need to rely on Him and I would appear as a "self-made" man, independent....Pride would quickly creep in, others would see me instead of Jesus.  It seems to me that in God's economy relying on Him is better than being perfect.  Weeds are better than the most perfectly groomed garden. 

The same can be said of our circumstances.  We may be facing great difficulties, darkness on every side, but God sees the beauty that comes from our hand in His leading us on to victory and deliverance. 

God is teaching me to see the beauty in the weeds, because that is where He is working the most.

Thank You Lord for another lesson in seeing through Your eyes and into Your heart.  You never cease to amaze.   There is beauty in the failure, sweetness in the difficulty because You are there.  Lord, help us to see more!  In Jesus' wonderful Name.  Amen.

Is there something in your life or self that needs different viewpoint?