“Eye contact is a powerful thing, and not just as a truth serum.”

A thought by Mark Batterson, (2015-10-06) from his book, If: Trading Your If Only Regrets for God's What If Possibilities (Kindle Locations 3600-3601). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

What Mark says following this is great. It may be exactly what you need.

Think of this. Mark says, “So Jesus— the Truth, the Whole Truth, Nothing But the Truth— leveraged the power of eye contact with Peter at a critical moment. If you had just denied Jesus three times, wouldn’t you think your career as a disciple was over with? Peter would have given up on himself, save a look. It was the look that changed his life. I know I’m reading between the lines, but there wasn’t one wink of condemnation. After all, Jesus could have simply called him out. If He had used words, He would have outed Peter, and Peter probably would have ended up on a cross next to Him! So Jesus gave him a look— a look of utter love, a look of absolute forgiveness. With one look, Jesus said, ‘I forgive you, I love you— I’m still in your corner.’ Without saying a word, Jesus said it all. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. That’s how He looks at you.”

Now that is not the kind of look that we think we will get is it? Mark then says, “We have a mistaken notion that God is keeping His eye on us for all the wrong reasons— to catch us doing something wrong. We think he’s like Ben Stiller’s future father-in-law in Meet the Parents. The former CIA counterintelligence officer, played by Robert De Niro, points to his eyes, then points to Greg. In other words, I’ve got my eye on you. And it wasn’t for the right reasons.”

Do you feel that way about God?

Mark continues, “God has His all-seeing eye on you. In fact, He never takes His eyes off you. But it’s not because He’s some cosmic killjoy who wants to catch you doing something wrong. He can’t take His eyes off you because you’re the apple of His eye. He loves you too much to look away!”

Did you need that today?

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