God does not view you by your perspective.

 We all have good days and bad days; days when we're flying high and feeling so tight and connected with God, and days when we couldn't feel more distant from Him. But in the midst of our fluctuating emotions, through the dynamics of our ever changing thoughts and feelings, one thing does not change - God's view of our relationship with Him.

 When we said yes to Jesus, something amazing happened. God's perspective of us became His perspective of His perfect Son, Jesus. You have been adopted. And just as a parent's child doesn't stop being a parent's child because of something wrong they've done or because of how they feel, so you don't stop being God's kid. Your performance does not dictate your standing. No, Jesus' performance dictates your standing!

 This is not what life or experience has taught us, though. As children we easily pick up on the disappointment in a parent's eyes. As adults, we sheepishly receive the rebuke over a late project from our boss. It is what we are taught: when you do what I want, I feel happy with you and you can be close to me. When you fail me, a wall goes up until the feelings of disappointment subside.

 But that is NOT how God's kingdom operates.

 Go and get the poor and the lame. Bring them to my feast. Those who are socially failed and a burden to society, the underachievers; bring THEM to my table. Pay the worker who started at 4:00 PM the same wages as the man who's been working all day. The Christian who's taken thirty years to get this right; reward him just as much as that hard working person over there.

 It just doesn't jive with what we know and have been taught. And that takes a Holy Spirit change of mind. It takes an eye-opening, a renewal of the mind, a repentance of the old thought patterns.

 God loves you right now, desires you and longs to be with you, delights over you just as much today as any other day. His view of you doesn't change. His view of you hasn't changed. He isn't disappointed. He isn't removed or distant. His passion for you burns just as brightly right now - no matter how you feel.

 We grow tired, our emotions get drained. But God does not grow weary. His love pursues us, He sees us the same every day. As His beloved - holy and accepted.
(Photographs by Hannah G. Furcinitti)

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