Above Me, Below Me, Beside Me
Seeing One Another Through The Father's Eyes
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear..." — 1 John 4:18
Why Does It Bother Me?
Have you ever been around someone who seems to think they are better than you?
Something about it can get under our skin. We may become irritated, defensive, or offended, and before long we're having an internal conversation about their pride.
They may indeed be struggling with pride, but there is another question worth asking:
"Why does how they see themselves, or how they see me, have so much power over me?"
The Old Hiding Place
The first response to shame appears very early in our story. Adam and Eve suddenly saw themselves differently, became afraid, covered themselves, and hid from the One who loved them.
"I was afraid...so I hid." — Genesis 3:10
Fear, hiding, and blaming still show up in different ways. One person may shrink back because they feel unworthy, while another builds an impressive image because they need others to believe it.
What looks like inferiority and what looks like superiority can both grow from the fear of being truly known.
Nothing Left To Prove
If someone believes they are better than me, I don't have to prove them wrong because their opinion cannot add to my value or take anything away from it.
And if I'm tempted to place myself above someone else, I don't need that protection either. Pride and offense may look very different on the outside, but both can become ways of protecting something inside that we're afraid someone might see.
Perfect love gives both of us the same safe place to stand—fully known by Abba and completely loved.
Standing Beside One Another
Paul gives us a beautiful way forward: “From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.” 2 Corinthians 5:16
What if I looked beyond the pride that offended me and saw someone Abba deeply loves? What if I looked beyond my own offense and remembered that I am deeply loved too?
The Father's love takes away our need for the ladder. I no longer need to decide whether I'm above you or below you, nor do I need to prove where either of us belongs. I'm free to stand beside you and begin seeing what the Father sees.
Here are two people of immeasurable value, completely known and completely loved by Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
When I begin seeing both of us through the Father's eyes, comparison loses its power and offense dissipates.
Reflection
Why does how another person sees themselves, or sees me, have so much power over me?
Where might shame be asking me to protect an image?
What would I see if I looked at both of us through the Father's eyes?
Prayer
Abba Father, free me to see myself and every person I meet through Your eyes of perfect love. Amen.