What We See
Do you believe your life has value?
When you look in a mirror, how do you see yourself?
Do you believe your life has value? When you look in a mirror, how do you see yourself? How does it influence the way you relate to yourself? How do you treat yourself? Is it with criticism, or is it with love and kindness?
The psalmist insists God is the One, “Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Psalm 103:4, NKJV).
Destruction takes many forms and can show up internally, inside us, or externally, outside us. Maybe most commonly, we experience a form of destruction by what we say to ourselves. Critical messages that roll around our heads. Or it can influence us by the way we allow others to treat us. Destruction is anything that tears us down. Demeans our preciousness and value. In short, destruction in any form insults the image of God in us.
By contrast, the psalmist tells us something different. He says God crowns us. Not with a physical object, but with an action grounded in who He is — lovingkindness and tender mercies. This action is not fleeting, inconsistent, or transitory. It is something God does repetitively and consistently. Daily. Minute-by-minute.
The psalmist then reminds us, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are God’s mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our sins from us. As a father loves his children, so the Lord loves those who fear Him [with reverence, worship, and awe]. From everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him" (11-13, 17, AMP).
Compassion, love, loyalty, consistency, and tenderness are all attributes of God’s character. They help us to remember who He is and how He treats us.
How might knowing this psalm shape your life right now? Does it make a difference in the way you think about yourself? The way you relate to yourself?
The next time you pass a mirror to catch a glimpse of yourself, smile and thank God for His creativity and love in who you are, especially the inestimable value of your precious life.
