Precious Ones

This post was a letter that I wrote for a very very special and remarkable friend. This young woman is truly incredible and I am so fortunate to have been blessed to have her in my life as a sister in Christ and a best friend. I wrote this letter to serve as a little reminder of how special she is and that she is one of God's unique creations. But as God laid these words on my heart and the letter began to write itself I realized that we all need a little encouragement. For a long time I was down on myself and the opinions of others could shred me apart--but I have found my justification in God and that has made all the difference. And as I look around in this world I see that so many people struggle with their self confidence, it is time for us to start living a life in the freedom that comes with God's justification and God's love. I want this letter to serve as a reminder that you are all precious and beautiful. Let God be the one to justify you. Be reminded that God created you with intention and has declared you good. If you know anyone who needs to be encouraged, please remind them how special they are.Precious Ones,This is a letter to remind you that you are beautiful, that you are made with an incredible purpose and you are so remarkably special—not only to the many people you have touched here on earth but to an amazing God. You are a special and unique creation; no one is exactly like you and no one can add to the world what you can add. You add and share with this world a unique color that adds vibrancy to the lives of all that surround you—a color that only you, as you, can provide. My dear one, you deserve to be respected and loved by, not only, others but by yourself! Don’t you think it is time for you to be gentle, kind and loving with you? Don’t you think it is time to stop berating yourself for what society and others have made you feel? Don’t you think it is time to take a break and rest with the only One who can justify you, the One who loves you with an unconditional love and has claimed you good?Cherished one, you are a unique and beautiful person, do you trust that God knew what the world needed when you were planned and created. No one in this entire world can do what you were created to do.Psalm 139:13-15“For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.”Read this verse and hear God’s love for you. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Do you understand? God created you and has declared that you are wonderfully made. The next line states that we know God’s works are wonderful and guess what—YOU ARE ONE OF THESE WORKS.I know where you are sitting, wondering why the world seems to declare you “lesser,” “not enough,” why it seems like you don’t fit in. Well I am going to let you in on a secret, it is because you were never meant to fit in, oh no my dear, you were born to stand out. We are not called to live as slaves to the opinions of imperfect human opinions—they do not justify us, it is the God who created you who justifies you and claims that you are good.Genesis 1:27“So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”We are created in the image of God—what could be more beautiful than this, and yet God does more, he declares us GOOD.Genesis 1:31“God saw everything he had made, and indeed, it was very good.”Isaiah 43: 1“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”You are called by name, and you are God’s. You do not belong to this world and society’s impossible standards do not apply to you, because you are above these earthly judgments—you are God’s.Isaiah 43:4“Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you. I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.”Precious, honored and loved—by God who is perfect, good, loving and who created everything.  The definition of precious, according to Google is of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly. You are precious, and you deserve to be treated as such, by those around you and by yourself.When you begin to feel that you might be a mistake, or that something is wrong with you please, I beg you, to remember this: “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand” (Isaiah 64:8).The confidence and love that is being encouraged here is one of genuine acceptance of all that God has created and planned you to be. This is not a full-of-yourself, prideful confidence—no this is the sure, steadfast confidence that God created you to be unique for God’s purpose. You cannot expect to live fully into the life God is calling you to if you cannot accept that you are God’s good creation. You have to stop thinking you are not enough, because you are—God accepts and loves you with all your faults and imperfections. God uses imperfect people to do His work, imperfect people who embrace the gifts they have been given and who rely completely on their Lord and Savior for everything.How can you use your God given gifts for God’s glory if you refuse to accept them as good and wonderfully made?Romans 12:4-8“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”You have something special to share with this world, it is time you start believing it. You have to stop letting the opinions of others hinder you, and you have to stop letting that negative evil voice inside your head that whispers “you can’t”, stop controlling you. Turn to God who has justified you and declared you good.First Corinthians 6: 19“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.”Beloved:“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”It is time for you to be gentle with yourself. You are so unique and beautiful it pains God and it pains me to see you unhappy with the beautiful creation you are. Please let God be the only one who justifies you and know that you are precious, not only, in God’s sight but in mine as well.Precious, honored, good and loved—that is what you are. Now please never question this again and love yourself a little.