At the end of our month with our ministry, our contact told us that he wanted to take us to a safari! Of course we agreed. If you ever find yourself in Africa, make sure to go on a safari.
We drove around in a jeep and just had a blast seeing all the animals and all the cool scenery. But my favorite part was watching the sunset. There is this river that runs through Malawi called the Shire, and we stopped on the edge of it to end the day. I’ll make sure to attach a picture at the bottom, even though the picture still doesn’t do it justice.
I could’ve watched that sunset forever. The sky was clear except for a few clouds, and the dark red sun shining off of the golden plains and all of the hippos just made it feel unreal.
But while I was watching the sunset, I thought of something. If I think that this is beautiful, then God must see us as infinitely more beautiful. What if I saw every person as beautiful as the sunset before my very eyes?
It’s something that I just never thought of before, but it is something that changes everything. Seeing people as God sees them is something that people always say, but what does that actually mean? I think seeing them as beautiful is a great place to start.
A man named Zechariah once said this about Jesus.
“He will give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, the sunrise shall visit us from on high, to give light to those who sit and darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace. (Luke 1:77-79)
You see what just happened there? Jesus is compared to a sunrise. I may have been talking about sunsets but sunrises are just as beautiful.
In the same way that the sun rises and brings light to the world, Jesus rose from the dead and brings life to the world. Jesus said “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12 shout out to AmyV)
I have one more verse to share and then I think you will get my train of thought. Towards the end of his time on earth, Jesus said, “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40)
When we see someone begging on the street, Jesus wants us to act as if we saw HIM begging on the street. When we see the unloved and forgotten, Jesus wants us to love them as if HE was the one in need. If you love Jesus, then Jesus asks you to love every single person as if they were him. To realistically do that would change everything. Because it’s not just a change of action, it’s more importantly a change of view, of mindset if you will. We need to see each person as if they were Jesus; the light of the world, the sunrise bringing life to the world, the sunset at the safari that surpasses the mere definition of beauty.
So who is Jesus to you? Is he the love of your life or an afterthought?
I’ll end with this quote from Ted Dekker, and I hope you’ll consider this question as if it could change your life, because it can.
“Does your Father in heaven not love you with the same love that He asks you to love others?”
