How Do You See?

I recently talked with a gentleman dealing with several physical and mental issues. He went into detail describing his life in terms of his many struggles. I asked him, "what do you think God thinks about your struggles?" His response varied from "maybe God is disciplining me, maybe he's trying to get me to trust him. I don't know why he's letting this happen to me; possibly I'm being punished, but I know He's in control."

Then I asked him, "Do you see your life as a combination of all these things you're dealing with?" He said, "that's my life." My next question was, "did you know God doesn't see your life that way? I mean that He doesn't look at you and see your life as an accumulation of everything you are dealing with at any given moment. He looks at you and sees his son united with his Son. He sees a life created in the likeness of God and one that has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Ephesians 4:24

His Son's life is perfect. His Son is eternal life. Life everlasting. The life He sees spans eternity. Our natural life here is but a vapor. James 4:14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.

While it is easy to focus or set our minds on what we are experiencing, God instructs us to set our minds on things above. Changing how we view our life can be difficult. Moving from our five senses to the mind of Christ is a transition into a new way of life.

How did Paul experience peace and contentment with all his life's troubles?

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

What was Pauls's response to this? He could have easily taken the attitude of "why me, God? I must not be in God's will for all this to happen to me." In response to Paul's plea to God to remove his thorn in the flesh, God's response was  2 Corinthians 12:9-10 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in distresses, in persecutions, in difficulties, in behalf of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong.

God was saying to Paul to see past his life in the flesh and see his life in the Spirit. There and only there will you find strength, not coming from you but from Christ in you. That strength is God's provision.

God's revelation of himself through his word and the Holy Spirit has given us the ability to see past this life in the flesh and into our life in Christ. The life of the Spirit. How can we walk in the Spirit if we don't see into our life in the Spirit?

In 2 Peter chapter 1, Peter tells us God has provided us everything we need for life and godliness. He then goes on the list the amazing attributes that accompany that provision. But in verse 9, he tells us; For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Blind, short-sighted? Peter is describing believers living as though their sins have not been forgiven, living as though their old life had not been wiped away.

To live blind to the finished work of Christ is to live blind to the life in the Spirit. Seeing by the Spirit is seeing that God is no longer counting our sins against us. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

A blind man only sees darkness. God has provided us a way to see into the darkness and displace it with Light; that Light is Jesus, and we are united with Him.

John 1:1-13 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.
6 A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

We need to see past our lack in the natural realm and see God's provision in the Spiritual realm. Seeing our life in the natural realm leads us only to self-effort, seeking solutions we can produce or control. God is calling us to see our new life in Christ and live in the provision of the finished work of Christ. This is a place of rest, not work.

God urges us to see past the natural realm and into the spiritual realm. See what Christ sees. See yourself seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father. You can do this because you died and your life is hidden with God in Christ. Colossians 3:3

Paul urged the Colossians to set their minds on things above, not on this natural realm. Colossians 3:2

A mind set on things of this earth seeks to continually gain the things of God that have already been freely given, and things that have been freely given need to be freely received.

I encourage you to see your life as God sees your life. There and only there will you find peace and contentment, all fueled by thankfulness of His finished work.