21 March | Youth

How God Sees Me

«For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.» 1 Samuel 16:7

Those who grow up with fluctuating self-esteem depend a lot on the opinions of others. Anything colleagues say is important enough to cement a feeling of rejection. For many young people, the opinion of their friends is unbelievably valuable. Regardless of age, there are three areas of internal conflict that call upon the court of our minds to judge us: appearance, performance and status.

• Appearance. Most of us cannot walk in front of a mirror without looking at ourselves. Observe how long a teenager spends looking at the reflection of their own image, and you will get a sense of the extent of their trauma.
• Performance. We are very demanding regarding intelligence, skills, or aptitudes. Sometimes this manifests itself as an air of superiority: “Everyone is worse than me!” But, in general, the tone of inferiority prevails: “Everyone is better than me!”
• Status. People evaluate life based on the clothes they wear, the college they attend, the neighborhood they live in, and so on.

The Heavenly Father is not looking for the good-looking, the smartest, or the most popular. He looks for what He put inside you: faith, courage and gifts. When David was just a young boy, God saw something that no one else could see. Therefore, He chose the youngest, littlest boy who took care of the sheep. The Lord specializes in seeing what no one sees. He looks for hearts similar to His.

If today you feel evaluated by others, or even judged by the court of your mind, here is a sentence worth holding on to: “I am accepted! I am someone! I am capable!” The Lord loves to use those who are considered least likely.