you are more, you've been remade.

On my wall hangs a small, broken, ugly bike lamp.

To anybody else, this insignificant piece of plastic would be trash. To me, it is a daily reminder of where I was and where God has brought me.

One night this summer at the youth group I used to be a leader at back in Colorado, the pastor told us all to go outside and find something on the ground that we thought was junk.

So I picked up this orange light.

When we got inside, we all sat in a circle and were asked to explain what we felt like God was trying to say to us through the "junk" that we picked up.

I began to explain how it was broken, it looked like it was supposed to connect to something, and disconnected it could produce no light. I related it to my life and how I had been disconnected from God and I felt like my light was going out.

The light was filled with dirt and garbage, there was no light coming from its bulbs. I talked about how I felt like my life and heart were just filled with dirt, and progressively getting dirtier and dirtier. I felt as though I was full of filth and as my life filled with dirt, the light was fading the further and further I disconnected from God.

It was broken and served no real purpose. I felt the same about my life. I was broken, damaged, my life was a wreck, and I felt as if though I would never amount to anything. I was nothing special and could never serve the original purpose God had in mind when He created me.

I thought the small piece of plastic I held in my hands was junk. I thought I was junk. Merely something to be thrown out and not considered of any use. In this light, I only saw its current condition, its flaws, brokenness, and how it was no longer useful.

Much like that light, all I saw in myself was my weakness, brokenness, scars, my past, my failures, shortcomings, and as something that would never be able to fulfill what it was created to do.

What would the creator of that light see? I imagine he would see what that light once was, and what that light had the potential to be. Indeed he would still see the brokenness, but he would also see what that light was intended to be.

The Creator God has the same perspective about you and me. When He looks at us, maybe we are much like that light. Broken, ugly, dirty, full of garbage, and something to be thrown out. But He doesn't see all that. He has a much different perspective. He sees what He created in its original form. Perfect. Spotless. Blameless. Flawless. When He looks at us, He sees His Son, Jesus. When He looks at us, He does not see what we see, rather, He sees our potential. He knows what He created us to be and what we were made to do, and any cracks or dirt that might be holding us back are simply small marks that He can erase with Jesus' Blood.

God sees what we were made to be. Not what we have become. So, why can't we see ourselves in the same light?

In that moment, I felt like my Father was telling me I needed to come back and reconnect with the light source. I needed to run back into His arms and allow His to fan into flame the fire in my heart that was quickly burning out. I needed to allow Him to purify me and cleanse me from my dirt. I needed to see myself as He saw me.

I thought I was worthless junk. I am no longer that person. I had this perspective a short 4 months ago, and now, I recognize the value that God has placed inside of me.

I know who I am in Christ. I am forgiven. I am redeemed. I am restored. I am pure. I am a new creation. I am holy. I am beautiful. I am the righteousness of Christ Jesus. I am accepted. I am fearless. I am strong, and He is strong in my weakness. I am persistently and passionately pursued by the romancer of my heart. I am the Beloved. I am a light in the darkness. I am a child of the most high God. I am found. I am free. I am no longer defined by my past. I have potential. The plans and purposes of God for my life are great and marvelous. I can do ALL things through Him who gives my strength.

I no longer carry my past around as a burden, or something to be ashamed of. I carry my past around as a testimony of the power and redeeming power of our God. Four months ago, I thought I was junk. I am not that person anymore. All it took was surrender and a shift in perspective.

Let God change your perspective. Don't focus on what you can't do or what you have done. Focus on what He can do and what He has done. He died so that you could have freedom, hope, forgiveness, and experience the deepest love you could ever imagine, it goes beyond comprehension.

Connect to the Light Source. Let Him make you new. Let Him show you how much you are worth. Let Him shine His light through you. Allow Him to clean you out and make you new.

He sees the plans and purposes which He intended for you when He created you, not your flaws. Its time you do the same thing.