The insignificance of human works when viewed by God is forcibly indicated in the familiar story of the tower of Babel. The people said: "Let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven. And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built." (Genesis 11:4-5)
They thought to reach heaven; but so far short of if did they come, that God is represented as having to come down even to see it. Very often when we fancy that we are doing a great thing, and think that everybody must surely be looking on, we have not accomplished enough to attract any notice at all.
It is quite common to hear people echo the poet's wish that we might see ourselves as others see us. We may be glad, however, that we do not. We should have more foolish notions, and commit more blunders, than we now do. Some of our friends think so highly of us, at times, at least, that nobody would be able to live with us, if we saw ourselves as they see us. And others hold us in such low esteem that if we saw ourselves with their eyes we should not want to live.
Neither is it any better for us to see ourselves as God sees us, as many well-meaning souls often wish they could. The fact is, self-consciousness is the worst thing in the world for people. We do not need to see ourselves at all, and the Lord does not wish us to. He says: "Look unto me." (Isaiah 45:22)
It is only while we are "looking unto Jesus," (Hebrews 12:2) that we are able to "run with patience the race that is set before us." (Hebrews 12:1)
We have the "eternal weight of glory while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
"Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, [we are] changed into the same image." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
We become like what we look at. If we look at ourselves, we only increase our faults; if we look at the Lord Jesus we do not see ourselves at all, but the glory of God, and thus we become transformed into His Divine image.--Present Truth, December 19, 1901--Original title: Back Page--Genesis 11:4-5.
E.J. Waggoner