How does God see me?
I know how I see me — needy, imperfect, immature, sinful, and their ilk.
All my efforts to improve fall flat. Self simply cannot make self better.
Therefore, Jesus came to die for me so that I might be reconciled to God. Once my relationship with God is healed, I can be healed.
“[You…hath he reconciled] In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Colossians 1:22).
So tell me, then — how does God see me?
Between me and at least three other brothers in our church there exists a chasm. This chasm has been dug by some practical, philosophical, and/or theological differences.
Despite our oneness on a whole host of other issues, the differences strain our relationships.
What if God inspired someone to deliver us a message? And what if we could agree on the divine origin of the message? And what if the message were along the lines of the one the Apostle Paul delivered in Philippians 4:2?
“I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.”
I wonder how in the world I/we would go about obeying the message.
God wasn’t appealing to Euodias and Syntyche to merely get along. “Can’t you please get along?” is far below “Be of the same mind in the Lord.”
Maybe verse one is intended as a lead-in to verse two.
“Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.”
“Mark, have that same mind toward those other brothers.”
Oh my!