Day 74 "Seeing Yourself and The World Through God's Eyes Make All The Difference!"

As a kid, I enjoyed playing with a kaleidoscope. I was fascinated with all the intricate designs that appeared to my eyes as I turned the end of the kaleidoscope and the moving parts within would assume new positions, thus, creating new patterns.

I took this from the Encyclopaedia Britannica:

Kaleidoscope

OPTICAL DEVICE

WRITTEN BY:

• The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Kaleidoscope is an optical device consisting of mirrors that reflect images of bits of colored glass in a symmetrical geometric design through a viewer. The design may be changed endlessly by rotating the section containing the loose fragments. The name is derived from the Greek words kalos (“beautiful”), eïdos (“form”), and skopeïn (“to view”).

"Beautiful"..."form"..."to view". As I encountered these three Greek words from which the word kaleidoscope is derived from, I thought about their essence:

Beautiful- to be pleasing to the senses or mind aesthetically; of a very high standard; excellent.

Form- the visible shape or configuration of something; a particular way in which a thing exists or appears; a manifestation; bring together parts or combine to create (something); make or fashion into a certain shape.

View- the ability to see something or to be seen from a particular place; a sight or prospect, typically of attractive natural scenery, that can be taken in by the eye from a particular place; look at or inspect (something); regard in a particular light or with a particular attitude.

Here is the paradigm shift for you this day: You will see yourself and the world around you differently when you come to Jesus and see life through Jesus' eyes. When we come to Jesus and accept him as our Lord and Savior, there is a spiritual new beginning that takes place and a spiritual transformation that begins.

"But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with every-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:14-18

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:15

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

When you see something in a different light, everything changes. Many people see Christianity as just another group of people adhering themselves under compulsion to the same set of religious laws and a moral standards, often judging one another by how well they are following the rules and how they act. But when one comes to the understanding that Christianity is all about having a relationship with God, the creator of all heaven and earth, the shackles and chains of conformity give way to a sweet love affair with God in which the "ought to's" and "have to's" fall disarmingly away and forfeit their control over us and becomes replaced with the sweet fragrance and freedom of the "want to's."

Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John :31-32

If your eyes can be opened to see a situation differently, it changes everything. There are many Christians who seek to become Christ-like in the same mannerism that they seek to achieve something in this world, mostly achieved by performance and a workman's attitude. The problem with that approach is that their efforts are being done in the flesh where "self" reigns, not being led by the Spirit of God. The more that one is able to let go of "self" and seek only to know God, God's ways will become known to that person and God's Holy Spirit will begin to transform that person's life from the inside out. When this begins to take place, one is able to see more and more from God's point of view, which changes everything! A lot of Christians and church goers think that morality and doing whats right is an obedience issue. This path will only lead to frustration, regrets, and tiresome effort. The real crux of the problems is a heart issue!

Most Christians will read John 14:15 as a way of proving our love for God with a "show me" type of attitude. If you love me, show me by the way you act.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

But later in that same chapter we read,

"Anyone who loves me will obey my teachings." John 14:23

and

"Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching." John 14:24

Jesus is pointing out to us that following him, being obedient to God's ways, is not a matter of "self" effort but a matter of the condition of our one's heart. Jesus said that if we love him, then we will follow and obey him. So, the question becomes, how do we grow in our love for God. The answer is to get to know God better and understand his love for us.

"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: love your neighbor as yourself." Galatians 5:13-14

"Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Romans 13:10

"Perfect love ( only God loves perfectly and unconditionally) casts out all fear."

1 John 4:18

"We love because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19

The bottom line is that through a change of perspective, turning from the physical world viewpoint to one that is spiritual in nature through Christ, changes the "form," and the "view" by which we see. In doing so, one begins to see all that is "beautiful" in the world, for one now sees it from God's perspective- and seeing life from God's perspective makes all the difference in the world! In God's hands, through God's eyes, we can see the world as God's Kaleidoscope. In Christ, God set us free to love him in return.

"So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view." 2 Corinthians 5:16

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Love is the purest motivation for living and maintaining a godly life.

In his love, see you tomorrow....

"Carpe Momentum in Love" (Seize the moment in love)