How hard is it to see ourselves as others see us? Even more importantly, how difficult is it for us to see ourselves as God sees us? Though it may be one of the hardest things we ever do, we must strive to take an unbiased look at ourselves so that we may see not only our strengths but our weaknesses as well.

ON THE AIR

About 15 years ago, this writer made a videotaped series of lessons for a church to broadcast on their local Cable television channel. Viewing the tape again recently, I saw this funny-looking young man on that tape and I wondered to myself, “Is that really how I look and talk?”. “Did I really say that?” Most of us can relate to the funny feelings we get when we hear ourselves on tape, especially for the first time. “Is that how I really sound? - Do I sound that way to you?”

It would be educational for us to imagine having a video camera monitoring our daily lives and then having to watch it at the end of the day. Would we enjoy watching that as much as we enjoy watching someone else’s life? Remember, God is watching us 24 hours a day.

How we see ourselves is vital to our salvation! We must be sure that we look at ourselves the way GOD looks at us, and also realize that others are watching our lives. Then we will be able to conform ourselves to His perfect image.

OUR PURPOSE

Our business on earth is to reflect the lovely image of Christ to others, not our own imperfect image. Paul teaches us that this is God’s handiwork in His children: “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” (II Corinthians. 3:18) We must learn to see Christ with the mind so He will be produced in our actions. The watching world needs to see Him so they can make up their minds about eternity. We are like artists who are trying to capture an image on canvas. Whether or not we achieve our purpose depends on how well we “see” Jesus. Just as the videotape helped me to see myself as others see me, the Lord will help us to see our true selves when we view His “TV” (True Vision), the Word of God.

“SIR, WE WOULD SEE JESUS.”

Certain Greeks inquired of Philip (John 12:20-33), “Sir, we would see Jesus.” When Jesus is told what they asked for, He painted a picture of Himself being glorified. How? By doing what a seed was created to do, fall into the ground and die so that it might bring forth much more fruit. This is the picture of Jesus that we are to see or else we will never follow Him; we will just think we are following Him.

BLIND MAN SEES

We read the wonderful account of a blind man in John chapter 9. This uneducated, sightless man could see better than the religious leaders of his day. The reason he could see so well was because he saw the “Truth”, Jesus Christ, and he was then able to see himself in a true light. On the other hand, the religious leaders manifested their blindness in the unfair way they treated the man Jesus healed. When they found out he had been with Jesus, they spoke down to the blind man and then put him out of the synagogue when they found him favorable to the Savior.

Jesus makes this remarkable statement in John 9:39: “For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.”

Some of the Pharisees asked Jesus, “Are we blind also?” “Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.” If we keep going through life as though we “see”, and have everything under control, we are never going to humble ourselves and come to Christ.

Can you see how important it is to see the great truth, “I am blind?” This is our spiritual starting point, and we will always remain blind if we walk according to the pride of life and the desires of the flesh and eyes which blind and deceive.

How does God see me? I am blind. But Jesus was sent to recover my sight! (Luke 4:18) He has not promised us today that He will heal everyone who is physically blind, but glory to God, He can give spiritual sight to those who humble themselves: and see and admit their need.