In my Father's Eyes
I can still hear the sound of the chair legs moving across the tile of our kitchen floor as my daddy pushed himself away from the table after enjoying one of my mama’s home-cooked meals. As I would excuse myself to scrape and rinse my plate I’d glance and see him tapping the end of his knee inviting me to sit for a minute. Jumping up on his knee I’d hear him softly whisper in my ear, “You are everything I ever wanted in a daughter and I love you.” Then my tiny self would hop down to run off and play, not nearly understanding or appreciating the depth of security offered to me by his words.
I was born with certain special physical needs that surely caused my parents to be afraid that I would grow up insecure. As parents do, I’m confident my mama and daddy wanted to remind me often that I was loved and special in their eyes and in the eyes of my Creator, God. Words of affirmation would be formative to how I saw myself and the confidence with which I would carry myself. They knew that I would soon embark into the unpredictable, scary world.
Too often we hold up the opinions of others as a mirror. We take our cues from what we believe others think about us. The world can shame us, cut us down and leave us all alone. Comparing ourselves to others can often lead to feeling terrible about ourselves. To make matters worse the voices of lies within our own heads say, “You are not enough!” This probably was the very reason my daddy wanted to ground me in his unconditional love from the first day I could understand it. He knew that pretty soon I would be seeing myself through the eyes of others, giving me an inaccurate view of who I was as his little girl, but more importantly as God’s beloved.
As you press into God’s calling on your life, realizing your gifts and strengths and shining as His child, it doesn’t take long to be shot down by comparison. Comparing ourselves to others quickly leads to emotional instability and anxiety. Trying to measure up to someone else kills your contentment to be the child of God He created you to be. Constantly examining who we are when compared to others kills community as relationships can’t hold up to constant competition, outright or internally. Lastly, many people say they want to find God’s purposes for their life. But how can you hear your own personal calling from God when you are constantly attempting to be like someone else?
I was a little girl who may have felt lacking at times, but remembering my daddy’s repetitive whisper grounded me with security. We, too, have the opportunity to listen to the Father’s voice reminding us of His love, over and over again. We plunge under the fountain of His affection as we invest time personally reading His Word. His affectionate thoughts towards us change us. His delight in you is immeasurable and unimaginable. Have you forgotten that you belong to Him? Turn your eyes towards your Father’s to be reminded of how He sees you as His perfectly wonderful child. He says that because of His Son Jesus, you are enough. No need to look any further. Keep your eyes locked into His gaze and you will walk securely without doubt. The world will feel safer to you.
Look with wonder at the depth of the Father’s marvelous love that he has lavished on us! He has called us and made us his very own beloved children.
1 John 3:1 TPT
If the thoughts in this writing resonate with you please consider ordering Easter Matters - How the Resurrection of Jesus Changes You. In this devotional you will find more treasures to assure you of His love during the Easter season.
