Your New Look

For many of you who couldn't be at Primetime last night; a little bit of what we talked about!

We often struggle with how we appear to other people...and even to ourselves. We can be rid of this anxiety if we would just take God's perspective on our lives and others'. II Corinthians 5:16 tells us that we should "no longer regard anyone according to the flesh." No longer are we to evaluate ourselves based on appearance, abilities, strengths or even weaknesses. Rather we ought to evaluate the way God evaluates. Here are a few examples:

1. I Samuel 16: 6, 11-12 - DAVID - Samuel saw David's brothers (Eliab in particular) thought he was the next king - not the ruddy, youngest and smallest of sons. And who was it again that slew the giant...Eliab? nope...the little guy!
2. John 9:1-2 - Blind Man - As Jesus and his disciples were walking along they saw this blind man; the disciples saw him...evaluated him...figured he did something wrong. Nope, Jesus evaluated something completely different - His disability proved to be an amazing advantage!!! So with yours!
3. II Corinthians 12:7-9 - Paul - Paul had every reason to be prideful...for crying out loud, he wrote half the N.T. - God sent a thorn in the flesh to humble him. Not everything that comes your way is to make you feel good...perhaps to keep you humble...humble people are great people!
4. Luke 18:15-16 - Little Children - Again, the disciples had the wrong perspective, thinking that Jesus didn't have time for these young ones - Jesus had better and bigger things to do. Is that how Jesus saw it? Nope - the smallest...important. Everyone, the young especially (YOU!) has value and purpose!
5. Job 2:9-10 - Job - Acutally, it's Job's wife that is the poor example here - she wanted her husband just to give up - it wasn't worth keeping trust in God. Job didn't SEE it that way...which way are you looking at life?
6. John 21:15-19 - Peter - Peter, just a few weeks prior, had committed something terrible - he didn't associate with Christ. After do so, he just gave up and went right back to fishing fish. Jesus comes back to Peter, forgives him, and restores him to fishing men again. Whatever it is guys...God's forgiveness is bigger...you can still do great things for God!

Guys...look at yourself, others, and life the way God sees it and evaluates it - He'll amaze you!