What God Sees

"I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness..." Isaiah 61: 10

In one corner of my bedroom sits an antique vanity with inlaid wood designs and a larger-than-life mirror framed in scroll. It once stood in my sister's teenage room where I played dress-up with her clothes and painted my face with her cosmetics. Whatever I imagined-that's what stared back at me-a bride, a teacher, a mother, a rock star (admit it...you sang into the end of plastic hairbrushes, too). There were endless possibilities.

But as I grew, playing dress-up turned into real-life decisions and roles. My choices mattered and I made mistakes. Some days the reflections in the mirror looked nothing like the images of my stunted grown-up self of years ago. 

Yes, I was a bride but not every day of marriage was beautiful and happy. Yes, I was a mother, but I didn't always nurture with love. Yes, I was a teacher in many different ways to all types of students but what they learned wasn't always my best. (No, I was never a rock star but on rare occasions, I still sang into the ends of plastic hair brushes).

My image was marred and frayed and disappointing so I avoided my reflection. Have you ever done that? Glanced at your reflection but avoided really looking? And when I avoided me, I ran away from God-the creator of my real self. Because, if I disappointed me then for sure, I disappointed him.

But, then I learned God already sees me perfect, despite my humanity-my mistakes. He sees me whole and righteous and perfect-as he created me. Because I said yes to Jesus, I am accepted as holy before God, the creator of me. And so are you if you say yes to Jesus. If you say yes, I believe you Jesus, to be the Son of God, broken for me- then God sees you as you were meant to be. 

The reflection in our life-sized mirrors are not always beautiful, but standing before our God, he sees us in garments of salvation, arrayed in robes of righteousness like a bride. 

"...For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Isaiah 61:10b