John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Psalm 16:9-11 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. For you will not leave my soul in Sheol. Nor will You allow your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

How do you think the devil wants you to look at your husband, my counselor asked? What do you mean I replied? He rephrased his question. What images do you see when you think about Lanny? Wow, I had never been asked that question before. I thought for a minute and began to write. 

He then said let’s pray and ask Jesus how He wants you to see your husband. I waited and God gave me a beautiful picture. My counselor suggested I go home and look through family photos and pick ones out that exemplified the characteristics God had given me. He encouraged me to create a collage and look at it every day while I thanked God for my gentle protector (this was the image God had given me when I asked how He saw Lanny).

Instantly a collage of family photos burst into my minds eye. I saw Lanny standing in the Caribbean Sea with our son at arm’s length above his head. Another pictured him standing beside our infant son floating on a tube at his feet. Lanny’s pose with arms bent above his head stated the power God had given Him to protect. I pictured him only 18 years old in his US Coast Guard uniform. He chose to be one of America’s gentle protectors during the Vietnam Era.

This was an exercise I began almost a year ago. I testify today that it has changed many dynamics in our marriage. I no longer see Lanny through the eyes of disappointment but through the eyes of His Creator. God chose him for me, and His gifts are always beautiful.

Protection is something we all long for. The enemy loves to steal the security we’ve already been granted through Jesus Christ. Satan often floods us with insecurities and fear. God says,” I am love.” Who are we listening to?

When we look at others do, we see them through our natural eyes, or do we see supernaturally (what God created)?

How we see God profoundly affects the way we see others. If we’re honest we all have people in our lives that seem to frequently push our buttons. Do we see these people through God’s eyes or through our lenses of pain and trauma?

Steve McVey in his Book Beyond an Angry God states, “The way you see God will affect everything. Theology is simply what a person thinks and says about God. Whether you are aware of it or not, you have a theological position right now because you have a concept of God and what He is like. I pray that as you read this book, you will see God more and more as the pure love that He truly is.”

If we see God as a judge prepared to bring judgment upon our wrongdoings, we will see others in that same light. Do we see God as pure love? Do we understand that God is a relational God?

Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created. 

When we fully grasp that we were created by God to be in relationship with Him we begin to see others differently.  We are able to look beyond the anger or offense and see God’s love. We understand that he did not create us offensive, but trauma presents itself in many colors.

 We are able to Identify Heart Values from Suffering-Brain Skill 6 taught in Thrive Today training. Next week we will explore deeper into what Chris Coursey teaches in Chapter eight of Transforming Fellowship and explore the main Pain and Characteristics of Hearts: we will see that caring deeply also means we hurt deeply and how our deepest hurts hide our greatest treasures.

As we close our eyes, we thank God for the Gentle Protectors He has placed in our lives. We ask God to help us to be a gentle protector to someone today.

Do we comprehend God’s, pure love? In what ways can you be a gentle protector to someone today?