"When I see the night sky and see the work of your fingers...the moon and the stars you set in place...what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them. Yet you made them only a little lower than God, and crowned them with glory and honor. You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority..."
Psalm 8:3-6 (New Living Translation)
We all go through times in our lives where feel that we are unimportant and that we don't really matter much. Maybe we are being gossiped about at work. Maybe our husband or wife is not giving us the attention we need. Maybe the kids won't listen or treat us mom and dads with respect. Maybe we are having lots of stress...financial troubles, job loss or inability to make friendships or relationships work. All this stuff drags us down and makes us feel like we are only a speck of dust in vast universe of people. We look at other people and wonder if they feel the same way.
In the creation story in Genesis 1:27 it says, "So God created human beings in his own image..." Does this mean that we are a mirror image of God...that we look like God? Of Course not! What this tells us is that we are intended to have a relationship with God. It tells us that we are capable of experiencing His love and that we are able to love God back in a way that nothing else in creation can. But the greatest thing these verses teach us in both Psalm 8 and Genesis 1 is that we are important and that no matter how we are feeling, we matter to God.
You might be thinking, "That's great...but how does this make my life any better!" I think it can answer three questions:
1. Who am I?
2. Why am I here?
3. What am I supposed to do with my life?
1. Who you are is very important to God. He created you to be unique and special. Being different than everyone else means that God cares about you the way you are. We are so convinced that we need to change to find happiness. If we could just lose weight, make more money and have more things we will somehow feel different than what we feel now. We often lose ourselves in trying to copy the world and be like other people. This throws us into an identity crisis from which it is hard to overcome. That is why we need to look in the mirror and see our raw materials. The best way to make our lives better is to be who we are...to use the gifts we have been given and to be real and authentic. You can't copy individuality. When we do this we will never measure up. It starts with being who God created you to be. Being honest about your limitations and strengths is the first step. Take an inventory and write down these things and pray about ways to use them.
2. So many people wonder why they are here. When we look at the universe and buy into the mythology that we are merely random accidents of a scientific process we will feel meaningless. But the Bible says that we are not accidents. It says that God has known us since the beginning of time and that he has a purpose and destiny for our lives. We are not accidents but people who have a cosmic plan that God wants to make happen in the world. There is a plan for our lives. It starts with believing this truth.
3. The hard part is figuring out what that plan is and how to make it work in our lives. This might happen in a day or develop during a life time. It is different for everybody. Most of us figure out our mission and purpose through trial and error. I have had three different mid-life crises in the last 10 years. God took me through severe depression, job loss and life changing gastric by-pass surgery to give me my health and lead me to my next step. The first key is being open. We have to look and listen because God usually doesn't explode onto the scene but usually works through the small events and encounters of life. We need to be aware of the situations we are in, the people we come across and the opportunities that are placed before us. We need to reflect and journal so that we can organize these events and relationships. Keeping a faith journal or diary that you can look back on once a week is very helpful. You see things you would otherwise miss. The second thing is that you must actively pursue a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. You need to confess your sins, pray and try to hear the spirit of God working in your life. If your faith is not being worked at through worship, bible study and prayer it will be hard to make any decisions or changes in your life. By working at our faith, we will uncover opportunities to discover our destiny. Ultimately, our destiny is tied to Christ in our lives now and into eternity. We cannot figure anything out until we are following Jesus in our lives. Faith takes work and effort. Salvation is a free gift, but purpose and destiny are things we must work at through our faith. Don't be afraid to do the hard work. It will help you find your way.
There are no easy answers except understanding that you matter to God, trying to be yourself and working at your faith. It is now your move.
No comments:
Post a Comment