Who do you look like? Whom do others say you most closely resemble? Do you often hear that you look just like your mother? Or maybe (like me) you hear, “You certainly have your dad’s blue eyes.”

Not only did I inherit my dad’s blue eyes, but I also inherited some of his personality traits and interests. What about you? When it comes to your words and actions, to whom are you closely related? Do you have the drive of your father or a great sense of humor like your mother? Maybe you build things like your dad or pay attention to the details like your mom.

Regardless of your inheritance (the relative you look or act like), we can all grow in our resemblance to Jesus. More specifically, we can learn to see from a Kingdom perspective. This is important, as our ability to see with a big picture perspective helps us to live wholeheartedly.

So, what kind of perspective do you have when you look at yourself? How do you see yourself? Are you hyper-critical, believing you aren’t “good enough” or that you’re insignificant? Or, do you take the Kingdom perspective that God does? When He looks at you He sees a beautiful, talented and incredible woman. He sees the life of impact He has designed for you, and how your story is part of a bigger story. The challenge, then, is to see ourselves and examine our lives through His eyes; confident that we are more than what we currently believe, and equipped for things we have yet to imagine.

Not only must we learn to see ourselves as God does but also, we must see others as He does. Putting that Kingdom perspective to work when examining others means that, rather than rushing to judgment about people, we can be patient and demonstrate compassion for them; we can remember they, too, have a story. Also, when others see obstacles in their way, we can help them to see God’s provision for them.

In 1979 Amy Grant recorded a song called “Father’s Eyes” which quickly became a favorite of mine. The lyrics provide words for this Biblical approach:

When people look inside my life, I want to hear them say:

She’s got her Father’s eyes, her Father’s eyes
Eyes that find the good in things, when good is not around
Eyes that find the source of help, when help just can’t be found
Eyes full of compassion, seeing every pain
Knowin’ what you’re going through, and feeling it the same…

Maybe the best compliment any one of us can receive is, “You have your Father’s eyes.”