Learn to Celebrate You!
Psalm 139:13-14
You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Acts17:25-26
He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation.
To love and appreciate yourself, you have to realize how much God loves you – and how special you are to Him. You are one-of-a-kind. A masterpiece created by God, and loved by Him.
In fact, you are loved so much by God that He sent His Son Jesus to die for you, so that you wouldn’t have to pay for your sins, but that you would have God’s Life – His Zoe Life living within you. And you would live for all eternity. We will get back to that Zoe Life again later, but right now just stop and think about the fact that He loves you that much!!
He made you, knows everything about you – that’s everything you did or thought – good or bad, and He loves you. You are special to Him.
The only way that you can receive that kind of love from God is to find scripture and meditate on it. Find what speaks to you personally. And allow that word to roll around in your thoughts and speech – over and over.
So how are you special?
Perhaps your beginnings were not that glorious. You might have been orphaned, or born into poverty, or born with physical problems.
Yet whether you were born in a castle or a shack, God loves you and has a plan for you. If you spend time with God and His Word, you will begin to see your special place in Him unfold. You will know that you are special.
You will begin to see how precious you are in His sight. And you will be precious in your own sight. You will not want to be any other than the special YOU He created.
You will love yourself.
So Who Are You, Really?
When you first come into the world, you have natural marks of identity. Your DNA. Your coloring, your size, your sound when you cry. Your likes and dislikes.
Your DNA is unique, just like your fingerprint. It contains elements from both of your parents, but no one has exactly the same DNA as You.
Oxford Words defines DNA like this: a self-replicating material that is present in nearly all living organisms as the main constituent of chromosomes. It is the carrier of genetic information.
It’s important to re-emphasize that your genetic information is unique. You are one-of-a-kind. No one else in the world is just like you!
And as you grow, recognition of all these “identity markers” increases, so that others can see your personality. Do you like people around? Or are you a loner? Do you talk a lot? Are you quiet?
What about gifts? Are you athletic? Intellectual? Musical? Technical? Creative? Witty?
These are things which all of us recognize in ourselves, our friends, and our family. Because of our makeup, there are certain personalities we like being around. Others we resist.
Then we receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord, and we are born again. This brings on a whole new level of identity.
When you are born again, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside of your spirit. You are a new creation. A totally new person, now being empowered by God Himself.
Thus your God-created Spiritual DNA comes alive, and you are empowered with gifts which may have been dormant before. Your natural gifts are enhanced, and you find other gifts which you never dreamed were there.
Yet just as there was a process to your natural development, there is a process to your spiritual development. Your divine substance is there in the form of potential. As you grow in closeness to God and obedience to His Word, you grow in your ability to fulfill all that God has for you.
Isaac Pitre notes it like this: There are levels and there are stages in your life. The levels are different things you will do as you grow. The stages are who you become as you grow with God.
You never stop growing, and you never stop being important to Him. Throughout your life you will go from one season to another. Through it all, you will always have a significance in God’s big plan.
Sometimes our part can seem unimportant, but if we are obedient to God, it will be very significant.
Think of the Apostle Paul. His most lasting ministry was wrapped up in the letters he wrote to the different churches. Letters which became part of the New Testament. Many of those he wrote when he was alone in prison.
Paul could have easily thought that God couldn’t use him there. He was alone in a dungeon. Yet his ministry was among the most significant of anyone who ever lived. Those letters, making up most of the New Testament still bring wisdom and encouragement to all of us today. In fact, the revelation God gave him during those times alone is the revelation we base our lives on today. He heard from God and wrote down the revelation of Jesus, the New Birth, and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Then there is Watchman Nee. He was imprisoned for being a Christian in a Chinese prison for 40 years. Yet he wrote books which have blessed the world even after his death.
There are some people who have been imprisoned or shut-in for many years, yet who spend their time praying. Those powerful prayers are releasing angels and God’s Spirit to draw people to Jesus and to break off Satan’s power over them.
So if those people could have an impact even while imprisoned or home-bound, you certainly can accomplish what God has for you wherever you are.
As long as you are alive, your Heavenly Father will have a plan for you. A purpose. It’s a significant purpose. And it’s wrapped up in your spiritual DNA.
Psalm 149:16 (NASB)
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.
What is your “unformed substance?” Your potential. The gifts and talents which are “unformed” as yet. You might not even know that they are there.
But God knows. He put them there when He designed you.
Your greatest days are ahead of you. When you seek Him with your whole heart and start to see what He wants to bring out of you. Your life becomes a terrific adventure! Whether you are alone in a prison or out in the midst of crowds of people, you have a purpose beyond what your limited mind can comprehend.
Grab hold of that thought, and ask God to show you what He wants you to know. As we continue in this teaching, you will find greater clarity about who you are. Your identity in Christ.
But this week, we learn to love ourselves!
Assignment:
Every day this week read Psalm 139 in its entirety. There will be certain parts which especially speak to you. Meditate on those throughout the day. Say them to yourself as you work or drive, or perform menial tasks.
Try to journal everyday this week.
Ask God to show you things about your childhood which demonstrate His love. There may have been hard times, but ask him to show you how you were saved from trouble. Wrecks, accidents, etc.
What were your favorite times in growing up? What does that say about who you are?
What are some of your favorite things about yourself?
