“How are you?”
It sounds like an easy enough question to answer, but really… is it?
Remember when you were a child and you felt bad about something? You were sad or ashamed or perhaps even angry, and you’d lower your head. Bowed down, looking at the floor. Eyes downcast, maybe biting your lip to keep it from trembling. Now imagine God crouching down in front of you, getting eye-level. He says, “Hey, kiddo. Look at me.” But you don’t want to. So, Abba (which is Hebrew for “Daddy”—it’s what Jesus called God) puts His hand under your tucked-in chin and gently lifts up your head. Psalm 3:3 (ESV) says, “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”
“Look at me, child,” He whispers. You look into His eyes. What do you see?
- I see Grace. [“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor. 12:9 (ESV)]
- I see Mercy. [“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)]
- I see Forgiveness. [“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (ESV)]
- I see Empathy. [“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” 2 Cor. 1:3-5 (ESV)]
- I see Love. [“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (ESV)]
“You’re gonna be okay,” Abba says. And when He says it, it’s hard not to believe it. So, if the answer to “How are you?” is “Hangin’ in there” … but maybe barely. Or if you’ve been white-knuckling it for a while, imagine the God of the Universe bending His knee to look you in the eyes and lifting your down-turned face and letting you know it’s all going to turn out alright. Maybe not this afternoon, or tomorrow... but it will be okay.
And if you don’t know where to find the faith to believe that, reach out to someone near you—in your home, in your church, somewhere you know you have a brother or sister who calls out to the same Abba as you do—and ask that person to bring you before our Father in heaven and believe it for you until you are again able.
