Bible Reading: Psalm 91:1-12 He orders his angels to protect you wherever you go. Psalm 91:11
TREVOR’S FIRST assignment in Tech Ed was to make something useful for home. He could pick from a half-dozen designs for napkin holders, recipe boxes, and dresser organizers. But when Trevor received his project back, the grading sheet screamed F. At the top of the sheet was scrawled one question: “What is it?”
Do you ever feel like a messed-up school project? If you wanted to find out what you really are, who would you ask? You would go back to the One who made you. If you want a clear view of your true identity, you need to see yourself as God sees you-no more and no less. So how exactly does God see you?
First, God sees you as eternally lovable. He is your Father. He created you in his own image (see Genesis 1:26-27). You are the best expression of his creative genius. In response to your faith in Christ, God welcomed you into his family as his child (seeJohn 1:12-13). God has provided for an ongoing, intimate relationship with you because he loves you-and nothing can shrink his love for you.
Second, God sees you as infinitely valuable. What is your value to God? At the cross God declared to heaven, hell, and the whole earth that you are worth the gift of Jesus Christ, his dearly loved Son. If you ever put a price tag on yourself, it would have to read “JESUS!” because that’s what God paid to save you (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Peter 1:18-19). That tells you how much you’re worth to God. If you had been the only person on earth, God would have sent his Son for you. To top it off, having conquered sin, death, and the grave, Jesus returned to heaven to prepare an eternal home for you (see John 14:1-3).
Third, God sees you as thoroughly competent. Jesus announced to his disciples, “When the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power” (Acts 1 :8). Because of Christ’s promise, Paul could boast, “I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need” (Philippians 4:13). Paul says again where God’s power comes from: “It is not that we think we can do anything of lasting value by ourselves. Our only power and success come from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5). God empowers you through his indwelling Holy Spirit and makes you competent to be his ambassador. Think about it: God trusts you so much that he left you on earth to complete the ministry Jesus began. He’s given you the job of leading people back to him (see 2 Corinthians 5:20).
REFLECT: Do you agree that you are lovable, valuable, and competent? What part of your self-image doesn’t match what God says?
PRAY: Ask God to bring your self-image in line with his true view of you.
