Devotion: Seeing the Light In Others

“See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.” ~Dr. Wayne Dyer

Friends, I will let you all in on a little secret—I really love people. I love hugging them, listening to them, celebrating them, cheering them on, and everything in between. Loving people and seeing the good in them has always seemed to come naturally to me, so I falsely believed that the love I had for others was unconditional.

Then I met someone who challenged my so-called “unconditional love.” She was a co-worker who consistently lied, gossiped, and stole. I had a really hard time working with her, let alone loving her. Many of her lies were directly related to me and my character, which made matters worse.

I remember sitting in my car one day, dreading having to work with her and asking God to help me get through the day.  His answer was not what I expected, but exactly what I needed to hear.  He whispered, Remember, she is someone’s daughter, sister, wife, and mother, and they love her dearly. Look through their eyes, and see her beauty. Focus only on her good today. She too is created in my image, and I love her just as much as I love you.

Ouch.

I had been given a mission, and I loved my heavenly Father too much not to at least try. So I went from choosing to see the very worst in my co-worker to actively seeking the very best in her. Each day, no matter how challenging, was a new chance to find a little more of the beauty I had overlooked before.

Soon, my perspective started to change, and I was able to see a woman who loved her children and husband fiercely. I saw a woman who had a soft spot for chocolate bars, loved to dance, and longed to be genuinely loved and accepted. We had a lot more in common than I had realized. She was a beautifully flawed woman, just like me. Where I once saw darkness, I now could see light shining through. I was learning how to love the woman God had created her to be.

I would love to say that my new perspective and loving actions somehow changed my co-worker’s behavior toward me, but that wouldn’t be the truth. Sometimes our love will not be returned. However, the way we treat others has more to do with our relationship with God than it will ever have to do with the person standing in front of us. God has called us to love His people and to love them well. He did not command us to love the easy ones and judge the difficult.

This beautiful, flawed, difficult woman changed me for the better. Because of her, I was humbled as I had to learn the truth about His love and grace—both freely given in abundance and completely undeserved. This was the kind of love He was calling me to.

John Lynch once said, “Grace is the face love wears when it meets imperfection.” Amen.

Extending grace is not about condoning someone’s unkind words, hurtful actions, or even their sins.  It is saying that there is more to them than their imperfections. We are all created in Christ’s image, and even though we may not always act as our beautiful Savior would, he is still our true identity. Christ is the light of this world, and we are called to reflect his light.

When I focus on others’ faults, I dim their light, but I also dim my own.

Friends, this is the truth—we can never know someone’s true intentions, but when we assume the very best of them, we make our own lives better. The moment we start judging others, that judgement seeps into our hearts and starts to taint the way we love.

True, genuine, unconditional love is transformational. It can purify and soften the hardest heart.

Lord, I ask you to help us see the light in others this week, and pour out your unconditional love and grace. Purify our hearts of judgement so we can learn to love like your Son and glorify your holy name. Amen.

Scriptures for Reflection

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8 NIV)

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he 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 NIV)

Reach for More

This week’s challenge is to see the light in others, and to treat them as if that is all you see. Is there someone in your life who is difficult to love? Maybe someone who has deeply hurt you or judged you? Don’t let their actions define your own. We each get to choose whether we will reflect God or the world. God commands us to love others as he has loved us—with his unconditional love and grace. Seek out their beauty, stay focused on their light, and see how much better your heart feels.

Dear friends, we can do this. Be courageous, and let’s be brave enough to look past people’s imperfections and see the light of Christ in them, this week and always.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Sarah Lundgren has a passion for all things sparkly, loves God with her whole heart, and is known to love Starbucks chai lattes a whole lot, too. Sarah is currently snuggled in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan with her sweet hubby, J, and her full-time job is making pretty things all day long for her Etsy business, so sarah designs, but she also loves writing devotional content here at The Glorious Table.