Choices and Labels

I paid a visit to an old friend yesterday. He's in federal prison, with over 11 years left to serve. It's his own fault he's there, and he knows that. 

He asked me if I thought God now sees him as a felon. From a legal standpoint, he is. And he will carry certain labels with him- in and out of prison- for the rest of his life. But is that what God sees?

I don't think so.

I believe that God sees us for the very best we can be. I believe that God looks at us- much like we look at our own kids- and sees potential, the best version of ourselves possible. Of course, our actions and our behaviors distort that. And we fall short of what God wants for our lives, but I still believe that God chooses not to label us in the same way we are labeled in the world.

Psalm 103:12 reminds us, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." That means that when we confess and repent, God takes our sin away and does not hold them against us. There may still be debts to society to be paid, but because of Jesus Christ, our debt to God has been forgiven.

So here's the question for today- are you choosing to live the very best version of your life, or are you choosing to settle for something less than what God had intended for you?