Author: Ricky Burge

Ricky Burge first heard Andrew in August of 2008, and in December, Ricky gave his life to Christ. He attended Charis Bible College, graduating from the Ministry School in 2014. He served AWM and Charis in Uganda through 2021, returning to Charis Woodland Park as Third-Year Manager and Leadership Coordinator. He is now set to lead the AWM/Charis Africa expansion.

A picture is worth a thousand words, and a vision from God can direct us so much more than a word from Him. As we hear from God, we can see in our hearts what He has planned for us. How do you see yourself? How do you see your life, your situation, and your future? How do you see your ministry or your calling? All of these things are affected by your outlook.

How we see ourselves may be affected by other people’s opinions or how we believe they see us. We can see ourselves through our past and all of the things we’ve walked through. We can see ourselves through what is currently happening in our lives. Both the blessings in our lives and the obstacles are shaped by how we see ourselves.

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”

Many limitations we have in life are self-imposed. The devil has no power over us, and God is for us, not against us. God has already said yes and amen (2 Cor. 1:20). If that’s all true, then the only factor is us. We need to recognize how we impose limits on ourselves and that our small thinking limits what God can do in our lives. Whatever the obstacles in front of you, God has given you the ability to see beyond them and to not be confined by those temporary things.

You can’t afford to miss seeing yourself as God sees you. Whatever you see becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Problems in life really reveal a problem in vision. Without His perspective, things can appear discouraging and meaningless. With His perspective, everything appears differently.

The things we see in Jesus’ life, He first saw them in His heart. The way Jesus lived His life is the same way we are to live our lives. We can use Jesus’ life as a  pattern to get the same results He did. God thinks so much higher than we do. As heaven is so much higher than the earth, God’s thoughts are so much higher than our own (Is. 55:9).

To believe in God is to believe in yourself because you come from Him. Don’t be led from the outside in by the thoughts and opinions of the world, but rather,  allow God to lead you from the inside out. God is saying, “I don’t want to lead you by outward circumstances.” Instead, He will teach and instruct you in the way to go (Ps. 32:8). And how will He do it? He will do it by guiding you with His eye (Ps. 32:8).