Why is it that no matter how many times I go through this, and say "Yeah, I get it!" I really don't! Or at least the truth of it never seems to stick! The past few months have been hard for me faith-wise. What is my worth? People in this world may rip you down, tear you apart, make your self-worth nothing, and make you believe that is what you are, because so many times we are caught up in the world, that we forget that God sees us as more then that! I seem to have forgotten it over and over and over in my life. And I've had friends tell me over and over... "Amanda, you're God's Child, you're worth so much to Him!"....yet why couldn't I believe it? I'm not sure...it's clearly a faith issue!
This week I was unpacking a box (nope still not unpacked! That's a whole other story in and of itself!) and I came across something that I got at a conference almost 10 yrs ago! This is what it says:
"You have permission to enjoy a sense of self worth and dignity bestowed upon you by your Creator because of your being designed in His image. You are encouraged to commit yourself to be fully what you are - an imagebearer of God.
It is to be remembered your worth is a settled issue, and rests in the truth of Who You Are rather then what you do. Because your worth is secure, in being made in God's image, you are free to grow in personal ways and thus demonstrate your individual uniqueness by what you do.
It is to be remembered that your emotional and spiritual growth is gradual and will be completed only at the Designer's return; therefore, you are free in God's love and Christ's redemption to grow each day becoming more of a feeling, choosing, thinking, communicative, self-aware, morally aware, spiritually aware and creative person! You are designed for relationship. Becoming a whole person in quality relationships with God and others is the purpose of life; therefore, you can glorify God not only by what you do, but also by who you are. Your being made in His image is God's gift to you; your becoming a whole person is your gift to God!" ~ Larry Day
WOW!!! What an amazing thing! Attached to this little card was a little gold pin, with a pearl-like bead on it....The Gold represents the innate and created worth of your life as found in Genesis 1:26-27 and Psalm 139:13-14. You are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God! The Pearl represents the fact that Jesus saw your worth and willingly paid the price of his life to redeem you. You are a pearl of great value to him (Matt 10:15; 13:45; 15:13). The pearl is White to represent who you are in Christ (Romans 8:1; 8:38-39; Galations 5:1). The gold and pearl are to remind you that you are worth it; you are loved, and remind you of these Biblical truths!
So when it's all said and done, does the approval of others in this world, whose opinions change like the tide, mean that much? Or would you rather live your life knowing that you have already been approved and are loved unconditionally, no matter how many times we stray or what we do, by our Creator? That's the question I've been asking myself lately!
I'll be one of those friends who tells you over and over, because we are so very frail and human, we DO need to hear it again and again:
ReplyDeleteEphesians 2:10 says that you are God's masterpiece; actually "poem." I say, since you are God's poem, cling to Him. He created you and loves you beyond explanation.
Seek out your identity in Him, Manda. Let it wash over you and transform your mind over and over and over, until you start to believe it, even just a little bit.
I love you to bits.