Celebrate yourself - God does!
Friday 5th October 2018
'He celebrates and sings because of you.' Zephaniah 3:17 CEV
Who am I? It's a question we all want the answer to. It's because knowing our identity is so crucial. God tells us that we're 'fearfully and wonderfully made' (Psalm 139:14 NIV). In fact, he loves us so much that 'he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing' (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV). Wow, how incredible that God sings because of us!
So, we don't need to feel bad about ourselves, thinking we're unacceptable or unlovable. God thinks the total opposite. When we know who we belong to, we're no longer striving to please others, or looking for affirmation in wrong places and relationships, or behaving out of insecurity, or fixated with comparison and competition, or afraid to use what God's given us.
Knowing our identity empowers us to look out for others. When we're living out our God-given identity, we actually become more aware of others and their needs. We can show God's love to others because we've accepted his love for us. We're told to 'love your neighbour as yourself' (Mark 12:31 NIV), so if we feel loved, we are more able to help others. Let's accept the identity he's given us and live the full life he wants for us and do the things he's calling, and created, us to do.
So what now? Write down a list of all the gifts/skills/best points that God has given you. Then celebrate yourself, because he does!
Friday 5th October 2018
'He celebrates and sings because of you.' Zephaniah 3:17 CEV
Who am I? It's a question we all want the answer to. It's because knowing our identity is so crucial. God tells us that we're 'fearfully and wonderfully made' (Psalm 139:14 NIV). In fact, he loves us so much that 'he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing' (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV). Wow, how incredible that God sings because of us!
So, we don't need to feel bad about ourselves, thinking we're unacceptable or unlovable. God thinks the total opposite. When we know who we belong to, we're no longer striving to please others, or looking for affirmation in wrong places and relationships, or behaving out of insecurity, or fixated with comparison and competition, or afraid to use what God's given us.
Knowing our identity empowers us to look out for others. When we're living out our God-given identity, we actually become more aware of others and their needs. We can show God's love to others because we've accepted his love for us. We're told to 'love your neighbour as yourself' (Mark 12:31 NIV), so if we feel loved, we are more able to help others. Let's accept the identity he's given us and live the full life he wants for us and do the things he's calling, and created, us to do.
So what now? Write down a list of all the gifts/skills/best points that God has given you. Then celebrate yourself, because he does!
