Day 1969 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

1 Peter 2:9 NIV

Oh how easily we forget who we really are! yesterday we talked about this amazing fact that none of us have anything to offer God, and how He still chooses to love us anyway. You know, He sees us differently than this world does. He looks at us and sees His kids. He sees the people that He sent Christ to die for. He sees the amazing things that He planned for us to accomplish in His name. Safe to say that He sees more in us than we even see in ourselves.

The world around us is really bad about pointing out the worst in people. So many people only look for flaws in others. They're so focused on making sure people know they're not perfect because it makes it easier for them to not feel so bad. A lot of people would just as soon pull others down than to work on improving their own lives. I guess they just think it's easier that way.

But you know what all that heartlessness gets us? A whole lot of hurt. People have been told that they're not good enough for so long that they've eventually started believing it for themselves. I don't think we take the time to consider it, but those little jabs and hurtful things that we say and do could very well send someone reeling. We may not even mean them, but the other person could be genuinely hurt anyway.

Ms. Brooke Robertson posted an incredible message about this very idea this morning. And she's had me thinking about it all day. Can you imagine how much different things would be if we poured our time and energy into telling others the good that we see in them? What if we truly treated others the way God treats us? What if we were as quick to compliment someone as we usually are to insult them? What if we tried to start seeing others the way that God sees them?

Everybody has flaws. Everybody has things in their lives that they're self-conscious about. Everyone is dealing with struggles that we may never know anything about. Everyone has been told countless times that they're not good enough. I think it's about time that we start sharing a much different message. Maybe one of love instead of all this other nonsense that's become so prevalent in this place.

Again, we're all God's kids. He calls us all sons and daughters. Last I checked, that makes us all brothers and sisters. Family. I just think it's about time that we start acting like it. I don't know, maybe I'm just one of those old school people who still imagines this world being a better place. Maybe I've not yet learned how to let go of the dream of pervasive love and kindness. I pray we never give up on that!

As this verse reminds us, God chose us to be His. He chose to pull us up out of the darkness and into the light of His mercy and grace. So maybe we should leave the darkness behind and look for ways to shine some light into the lives of those around us. Just trying telling someone else what you appreciate about them. Who knows, you might be the only one that says anything kind to them. And you might be the one that reminds them that they're loved as they are. That's a message we need to share as much as possible. Let's build one another up, enough of tearing people down! We're called to be far better than that!