God, Mighty Creator “Elohim”– Rev. Grace Reyes
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.”
God, Mighty Creator “Elohim”– Rev. Grace Reyes
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Psalm 139:14 NIV
When I think about myself, I think about myself in a vulnerable and critical way, I find that many of us suffer from that bad habit of looking at ourselves with a critical eye.
Oftentimes we will defensively label our self-critique as being humble. Wrong, that has nothing to do with being humble it has to do with our lack of self-acceptance, which would be to love ourselves and to see ourselves through the lens of God.
How many of you hold up that mirror, in hopes of one day finding the image you long to see. The scriptures reassure us that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made”, God has assured us in Psalm 139:14 that He did just that. The world shows us a very different image and an unrealistic expectation that has everything to do with a whole lot of starving and surgeries to “fix” what we think is flawed about our bodies and our faces. What we feel does not measure up to the images on social media.
Many of us are still lugging around the childhood traumas of parents who put us down and bullies in the playground who reinforced our trampled self-esteem. We dealt with perhaps church members at children’s ministry that teased us and made us feel small. Let’s not reserve bad behavior to the unsaved please. There are those of us who are shy, so we were overlooked because of the boisterous outspoken child that demanded attention and was given it.
I imagine a small mirror and the one starring back at me at any given time has an uncertain gaze, she is sad, and feels the weight of the mistakes of her youth, the critical people who instead of encouraging her/him listed all the reasons that you were not worthy, that you would not succeed.
Put that mirror down and let me give you some reasons through Christ why you should next time pick up that mirror with a knowing smile on your face. Let me list some valuable insights that I have taken from scripture, His word is our mirror by which we should look at our value and how He “Sees” us.
You are unique: There is absolutely positively only ONE YOU!
• You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Psalm 139:13 NLT
• “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born, I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV
You are special: There is no one else that can fulfill the purpose He planned for YOU
• For we are God’s masterpiece, He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT
• For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
You are Lovely: You are beautiful you are a masterpiece in the eyes of God, don’t let anyone try to define you. Do not even try to measure up someone else’s expectation of beauty.
• Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you. Isaiah 43:4 NLT
• But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV
You are Strong in Him: It has nothing to do with your personal strength, it has only to do with His.
• You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great. Psalm 18:35 NIV
• Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. “Joshua 1:9
Chosen: What a thought, to consider yourself “Chosen” by such a holy and mighty God. I have to take the mirror to me once more.
• You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16 NIV
• I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
I have chosen you and have not rejected you. Isaiah 41:9 NLT
This, the final point I would like to wrap up with today, is of utmost importance as we once again grab a hold of our mirrors. You are forgiven!!! Hallelujah!!!
• as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 NIV
• In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7 NIV
In future moments we can gaze at mirrors with a different attitude and perspective. Knowing that His word has stated that we are masterpieces, made in His image, that He thought things through when he was creating us. We are not a cosmic accident but a well-worn out creation of God. Let us begin to encourage each other and drop the side eye and judgementalism. We are not competing in this vast vineyard, there is plenty to do here and plenty of room to do it in. We represent such a diverse and great God who is calling us all to work with the gifts that He has freely given to us.
I do not understand why we should be measured by the gifts of others; they do not diminish me in any way. I want to use the gifts He has given me to expand the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to intercede for all those hurting and seeking God.
He says he deals with each of us according to our works, not in comparison to someone else’s. (God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” Romans 2:6 NIV).
It is okay to love yourself, it is okay to be proud and not prideful, it is what the Lord created when he thought of us. I want you to rethink who you are in Him.