“For you have been chosen by God himself – you are priests of the king, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own – that you may show others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that God personally chose you? Not just your neighbor, not just some full-time minister, but He personally chose you. Think about that for a minute. The creator of the Universe, of all the stars in the heavens, the One who carved out deep canyons and brought mighty oceans to life decided to personally choose you. Not only that, but He also views you as holy, pure. In God’s eyes, you’re something special!
Too often, I can lose sight of that fact. The truth is I don’t always feel very holy or particularly pure, especially when I’ve blown it in some way. I still have times where I yell at my kids. I can act in ways that are selfish or hurtful to those around me. I can be critical in my heart and mind toward myself and others. When I look at those things, I don’t feel like I’m God’s own. I feel embarrassed and ashamed.
Thankfully, God views me so differently! Now certainly God helps me grow in every area of my life, but He always loves and accepts me right where I’m at, right in this moment. And He does the same for you! Paul tells us in Romans 5:8, “Yet the proof of God’s amazing love is this: that it was while we were sinners that Christ died for us.” God wasn’t sitting around waiting for you to get your act together in order for Him to choose you. No, while you were in your messiest, hardest moments, God chose you. Let that sink in.
So if you and I are chosen and loved apart from our performance, if God views us as His priests, holy and pure even in the midst of our weaknesses, why should we live in fear? If God accepts you for who you are and where you’re at, there’s no need to hide behind anything, fearful of the realyou being discovered. God finds the real you – not just the good and the bad of who you are, but the ugly parts, too – to be worthy of His love. Yes, you are worthy! Isn’t that mind blowing?
And if you really understand your great worth before God, it begins to change you. You no longer worry so much about what others think. You know you matter deeply to the One whose opinion most matters in the universe! You soul is flooded with joy and gratitude since you know you were put here for a purpose. People watch you wrestle to grow and change, not perfectly but consistently, and they see something different about your life that only God can give. That is, in fact, how we “shine like stars in the heavens” to show others what God has in store for them, too.
How about you? Do you struggle with feeling your worth? Do you forget, like I do sometimes, that God views you as His very own? Take time this week to meditate on this important concept so you can experience the joy and gratitude that comes from knowing the Creator of the Universe delights in YOU!
For Further Thought: “Because you are precious in my eyes, you are honored, and I love you,” (Isaiah 43:4). As you spend some time this week contemplating your worth before God, write down one or two ways you’ve seen God expressing His love for you during a time of challenge. When you’re tempted to let go of your worth when you’re struggling, pull those out as reminders that God is still with you as you engage with Him.
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