While I was praying this morning I felt God give me a picture of a simple children’s roundabout; so if you are a child or a youngster, may be even an adult, this isn’t really the sort of roundabout that inspires fun does it? It doesn’t make you get that excited.  

The challenge though that I felt God give me was how do you view yourself? How do you see yourself? How do you perceive yourself, when you are thinking about yourself before God?  

Now and again I feel, Lord, why do you bother with me? How could I be the person you called me to? I’ve got so much more to do in my life and I can feel like this broken roundabout really.  

This could also be your vision of the church. Someone might ask, what was church like? Well I come along on a Sunday and do this, serve here or there. It’s ok... 

BUT I also felt God say to me that this is not my vision of you!  

But the second picture is what I believe God says of us, His view of the roundabout. It’s a full blown carousel, it’s got lights, it’s got horses, it’s got carriages, it’s just such an exciting place to be. There are even two floors to this carousel and God would say to you this morning, this is my view of you! My view of you is that you are full of goodness, because I have poured my goodness into you. You are Holy because I have clothed you with my homeliness. You are righteous and good and this is my vision of you, no matter how you see yourself, I see you and I love you. So much so that the cross we celebrated last week, it was enough, it was able to bring you into my presence forever, to sustain you forever.  

I felt God also say no matter how you see my church, don’t forget that the church is the Bride of Christ, let’s go back to the first picture. That’s not how God sees His church, His church is His bride, let’s go back to the second picture, His bride is beautiful, His bride is spotless, His bride is victorious and we are that bride. Wherever you are in this church today, you are part of that amazing bride, that amazing body that Christ is returning for, and He sees you, and he’s happy to call you His bride. Whatever your vision of self is, raise your eyes up to the Lord and let Him reveal to you how He sees you this morning!