God knew what he was doing from the very beginning.
He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him
along the same lines as the life of his Son.
The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored.
We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.
After God made that decision of what his children should be like,
he followed it up by calling people by name.
After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself.
And then, after getting them established,
he stayed with them to the end,
gloriously completing what he had begun.
Romans 8:29-30 The Message
***
Sociologists have a theory of the looking-glass self:
You become what the most important person in your life
(wife, father, boss, etc.)
thinks you are.
How would my life change if I truly believed the Bible’s astounding words a
bout God’s love for me,
if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?
Philip Yancey