Daddy's Eyes part 2
In order to see clearly, the light has to shine. Otherwise we are just stumbling around in the dark. Trying to "do the best we can with what we've got." Or rather, what we THINK we've got. Because when it's dark we can't SEE what we've got. We can't SEE who we are, or who God is. And really, one defines the other. How we think of God is how we think of ourselves. And how we think of ourselves is how we think of God. If we see Him as Daddy, we see ourselves as His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased. If we see ourselves as sinners, we see Him as an angry taskmaster who punishes sinners. It's all about what you see. HOW you see. Because what you see is what you be. Because seeing is believing. But here's where it can get a little bit tricky: In order to get to the real, you have to dig a little bit deeper. The surface stuff screams at you, but only because it really doesn't have anything to say. Deep inside there's a still, small voice leading and guiding you into all truth. This voice is the Holy Spirit. And it leads and guides us by testifying of Jesus--our true identity. The inner man. The hidden man of the heart. The new man. The true man. Jesus... God in the flesh. Love in a body. God in OUR flesh. Love in OUR body. And this is what Daddy sees. He doesn't see what we do, He sees who we are. Look at 1 John 1:5, "This, then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." See, God doesn't just USE light to see clearly, He IS the light that allows US to see clearly! And, guys, there's no darkness in Him at all. So, since He lives in us, there's not darkness in US at all. How could there be? How could you be any more perfect than having the perfect One live inside of you? Light shines and darkness flees. WE are the light of the world. He is the light, and we are that same light because He is shining in us and through us and as us! Now the wonderful part of my Rant (as if all of that wasn't good enough): This light that we shine--this light that we ARE--allows us to see each other as Daddy sees us. It allows us to look past the surface stuff and see the real. See the heart. I found a quote the other day that really sums this up: "The light in me thinks the light in you is freaking awesome." Why? Because deep calls out to deep. Because we're connected by this light--this LIFE--of love! And when we can put aside (or look past) all of the differences that really don't matter anyway, then we can see the connection. Then we can see that we're all members of the same body. Different members with different functions, yes, but only one body. HIS body. A body that CAN love because it IS loved. This is what Ephesians 5:29 means, "For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church." When we see ourselves correctly we won't NEED to fight with each other. We'll nourish and cherish each other. We'll love each other. As a Father loves His Son. As the Bridegroom loves His bride. And with that kind of love, what else could the darkness do but flee? With that kind of love what else could we do but experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of the Lord Jesus Christ!