Monday, July 6, 2015

Pastor's Ponderings, July 6, 2015

Smile, God Thinks You Are Wonderful

We live in a world where businesses make a lot of money while making people feel uncomfortable about themselves, their looks, their body images, their intelligence, or their accomplishments.  They persuade us into thinking if we buy this, follow this group, act this way, or follow this formula, all will be right with the world.  Yet, in spite of trying everything that the world tells us to do or buy, we are still left with feeling uncomfortable with who we are. 

Thankfully, the Bible tells us that we are created in God’s Holy image and He says that everything He made is good just like it is (Genesis 1:26, 27, 31).  He did a great job making us intricate, wonderfully complete and complex. We are His masterpiece and were created for His purpose (Psalm 139:14, Ephesians 2:10).  It does not matter if we got here through marriage, outside of marriage, adoption or surrogacy. He knew all about us before we arrived on planet Earth.  In fact He gave us an assignment even before we got here (Jeremiah 1:5).  Our Holy God has even decided to take up a residence in us (1 Corinthians 6:19).

We are left to wonderingly ask Him, who are we that He should do so much for us, think so much about us, or care so much for us (Psalm 8:4, 5).  We don’t have a good answer for that but one day we will understand. In the meantime, let us remember that while man wants us uncomfortable in our skin for his own benefit, it is God’s opinion about us that is so important.  So, go ahead and smile! Since God created you, He thinks you are wonderful!

Genesis 1:26, 27, 31
New Living Translation (NLT)
26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”
27 So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
31 Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! And evening passed and morning came, marking the sixth day.

Psalm 139:14
New Living Translation (NLT)
14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Ephesians 2:10
New Living Translation (NLT)
10 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.

Jeremiah 1:5
New Living Translation (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.”

1 Corinthians 6:19
New Living Translation (NLT)
19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,

Psalm 8:4, 5
New Living Translation (NLT)
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.




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