God sees each and every one of us as His beloved children. As our heavenly Father, God looks at us through eyes of unconditional love, mercy and grace. He knows us intimately and understands our struggles and weaknesses. Yet He chooses to see us not as we are, but as we can become through faith in Jesus Christ.
God sees our potential
Unlike humans who tend to judge by outward appearances, God sees our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). He looks beyond our faults and flaws to the person He created us to be. God sees the potential in each of us to reflect His goodness, beauty and truth.
Even when we make mistakes and mess up, God continues believing in us and cheering us on. He is constantly working to redeem our brokenness and transform us into the image of His Son Jesus (Romans 8:29). God sees the righteous, redeemed version of ourselves that we cannot yet see.
God sees our true identity
We tend to identify ourselves by our careers, relationships, successes and failures. But God sees our true identity as His beloved daughters and sons. He defined and determined our worth by sending Jesus to die for us. We are precious and honored in God’s eyes (Isaiah 43:4).
God also calls us by name and promises never to forget us (Isaiah 49:15-16). We are His and He is ours. That identity and belonging is secure, regardless of what we do or where we go. God sees us through the lens of love and faithfulness, not fear or rejection.
God sees our pain
When we go through difficulties and sorrows, God sees our pain. He promises to be near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). Not only is God sovereign over the suffering, but He also chooses to enter into it with us (John 11:35).
Jesus willingly took all sickness, grief and sin upon Himself at the cross to redeem us from it (1 Peter 2:24). He takes on our pain so that one day we can be free of sorrow forever. God does not turn a blind eye to what hurts us – He sees it and promises to heal it.
God sees our purpose
Unlike the world that defines us by what we do, God defines us by who we are. Our careers and callings do not determine our worth in His kingdom. God sees each of us as having equal value and dignity (Galatians 3:28).
At the same time, God has ordained good works for us to accomplish (Ephesians 2:10). He has gifted us and positioned us to fulfill a unique purpose on this earth. God sees and believes in the particular contributions He has prepared for our lives.
God sees our wandering hearts
When we stray from God through sin or negligence, He sees our wandering hearts. God graciously pursues us and invites us back to Himself. He rejoices over us when we return to Him (Luke 15:11-32).
God also promises to leave the 99 to find the 1 who goes astray (Matthew 18:12-14). No matter how many times we leave and doubt, God’s love remains steadfast. He sees our waywardness and meets us with open arms.
God sees our worship
While people look at outward appearances, God sees our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). He searches for those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24). The condition of our hearts matter far more to God than actions and appearances.
Even when others do not notice or applaud our sacrifices for God, He sees. He treasures our private devotion and pure motivation to bring Him glory. God sees every act of adoration, whether big or small.
God sees our calling
Each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made by God (Psalm 139:14). He has prepared specific good works for our lives to fulfill (Ephesians 2:10). God sees the unique calling and contribution He has for each of us.
He also equips us with spiritual gifts and talents for those assignments (Romans 12:6-8). If we ask God, He will show us the purpose He has for our lives. He sees our specific calling and anoints us to carry it out in faith.
God sees our needs
Jesus urges us to pray to God with our requests and needs (Matthew 6:11). He promises God will provide for us daily as a loving Father. When we ask, God hears and responds generously (Matthew 7:7-11).
In fact, God already knows what we need even better than we do (Matthew 6:8). He sees all our physical, emotional, and spiritual necessities. God promises to supply all our needs according to His riches in Christ (Philippians 4:19).
God sees our thoughts
Humans can only perceive outward behaviors, but God sees our every thought (Psalm 139:2). He searches and understands the innermost intentions of our hearts. God even perceives our thoughts far off, before we are aware of them.
We cannot hide or conceal anything from God, who sees all. He knows when sinful thoughts tempt us. God also sees when we turn away from wickedness, desiring to honor Him instead. Every idea passes before the eyes of the One who made our minds.
God sees our faith
While others may overlook or ridicule our faith, God sees it intimately. He notices and delights in even our smallest steps of obedience and trust. Jesus emphasizes how the smallest seed of faith can move mountains (Matthew 17:20).
When we believe God against all odds, He sees and honors that faith. God also promises to complete the good work He began in us (Philippians 1:6). He sees our sincere faith and will carry us through to the end.
How God sees believers
If we have accepted Jesus as Lord of our lives, God sees us as His dearly loved children (1 John 3:1). We are co-heirs with Christ, gloriously saved and set free from sin (Romans 8:17). God looks at believers through the lens of Jesus’ perfect sacrifice for us.
He calls those who follow Jesus His friends (John 15:15). We have intimate access to Him through Christ. God also seals believers with His promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14). The Spirit assures us that we belong eternally to Him.
How God sees unbelievers
For those who do not know Jesus, God sees them as lost sheep in need of rescue (Matthew 9:36). He longs for all people to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). God is patient toward unbelievers, not wanting any to perish but all to repent (2 Peter 3:9).
Yet if people ultimately reject God’s offer of salvation through Jesus, He will sadly give them over to their desires (Romans 1:24-32). God sees unbelievers as both lost in darkness and facing eternal judgment without Christ (John 3:18-19).
Conclusion
God alone sees each of us fully known and fully loved at the same time. He looks at us through eyes of grace, truth, purpose and belonging. As we grow closer to Him through Christ, God invites us to see ourselves and others as He does.
When we view ourselves in light of God’s unconditional love, it sets us free to live boldly and joyfully as His beloved children. We can rest confident knowing God sees us, understands us and meets us in every season of life.