Sunday, May 29, 2011

You Are Worthy

 

by Jennifer AlLee

I'm not a big follower of Oprah, but since Wednesday was the last episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, I thought I should watch it. It was an hour with no surprise guests, no gifts under the seats or cars waiting for people in the parking lot. It was just Oprah, talking to the audience, sharing her heart.

One thing she said that really struck me was about addiction. How no matter what kind of addiction a person has - to drugs, alcohol, shopping, food, cigarettes, sex, etc. - it all boils down to one common thing: a feeling of unworthiness.

A lot of us spend our lives feeling less than...less beautiful, less intelligent, less important, less desirable. We think that until we reach the ideal of what we should be, we are not worth being loved. But God has loved us from the very beginning, and then some. Before you were even a gleam in your father's eye, He knew you.
Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying:
      “ Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;
      Before you were born I sanctified you;
      I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

      (Jeremiah 1:4-5, New King James Version)

The same words He said to the prophet Jeremiah are true about each of us. He knew us before He formed us in the womb. The implications of that are astounding. Not only that He knows who we are, but that He formed each and ever one of us. He decided which sperm needed to meet which egg to create exactly the person you are. He designed your genes, your DNA, every tiny detail of your being.

You are worthy.

Still not convinced? Look at the words of David:
For You formed my inward parts;
         You covered me in my mother’s womb.
  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
         Marvelous are Your works,
         And that my soul knows very well.
         (Psalm 139:13-14, New King James Version)
Fearfully and wonderfully made. By an all-powerful, all-knowing God. A God who took the time to work out every detail of your creation.

You are wonderful.

You are worthy. Worthy of love. Worthy of blessing. Worthy of salvation.

You are worthy.



 JENNIFER ALLEE believes the most important thing a woman can do is find her identity in God – a theme that carries throughout her novels. A professional writer for over twenty years, she's done extensive freelance work for Concordia Publishing House, including skits, Bible activity pages, and over 100 contributions to their popular My Devotions series. Her first novel, The Love of His Brother, was released by Five Star Publishers in November 2007. Her latest novel, The Pastor’s Wife, was released by Abingdon Press in February 2010. Her upcoming novel, The Mother Road, will be released by Abingdon Press in April 2012. She's a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Christian Authors Network, and the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance.

http://jenniferalleesite.blogspot.com/ - Jennifer's website
http://thepastorswifespeaks.blogspot.com/ - A safe haven for women living on the front lines of ministry.

7 comments:

  1. Thank you for this reminder, Jen. I think, even though we know these scriptures in our head, we get caught up in feelings of unworthiness and we forget these very powerful and loving words in our hearts. I know I need to be reminded of this. Often.

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  2. Lovely devotional, Jen. We all need to be reminded of God's love for us, a basic truth we all too often diminish. Viewing ourselves through God's eyes--as loved, precious, valued children--makes all the difference in how we make decisions, so it's important to instill this view in our children, too. Thank you for the timely reminder.

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  3. Beautiful post, Jen. I needed this today, it blessed me! Thanks!

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  4. Good afternoon, ladies. I'm so glad this post spoke to you. It's become a big theme not only in my writing, but in my life: seeing ourselves as God sees us. I think it's one of the hardest things to do, but when we catch it, even if it's just for a moment, the result is amazing.

    Love you all!

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  5. I have to believe you Jen. I know we are supposed to go by faith, not feelings.
    Thank you!

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  6. Deb, I battle with this constantly. Since I was a kid, I've felt not-as-important as everyone else. Made me a bully magnet in school, and it continues to make it hard for me to meet new people and interact in group settings. But every now and then, I feel that love, that big love from my heavenly Daddy, and I see myself as He sees me. It blows my mind. Then it slips away and I return to the struggle. You are an amazing lady, Debra E. Marvin. I'm so glad God joined our hearts in this journey through life!

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