If I were to ask you why you mattered to God, what would you say? Perhaps you would answer like my daughter did stating that she knows God has great plans for her and that she is going to help people who are far from the LORD come to know Him. Perhaps you would answer like another believer who said he matters because God has a purpose for him. Or maybe you don’t even believe that you matter to God or that He cares or even knows that you even exist.
Whatever the answer to the question above, if its rooted in what you do or are going to do, its wrong. Not that those aren’t great things to desire or that I am not praying that God uses my daughter in amazing ways.
You are important to God not because of what you do but because of who you are.
Which takes me to the next question to ask yourself. Who are you? What is your identity or how you define yourself? Some of you would say a small business owner, some may say a nurse, others I know would say a mom, a dad, daughter, or grandparent. Years ago, I might have identified myself as Vice President of Operations and now a stay at home mom to four children.
And while those are all part of your identity, your true identity if you are a follower of Christ is greater than all of those things. The Word of God says that you are a child of God, a co-heir with Christ, a friend of Jesus Himself (Romans 8:17, John 15:15). You bear the image of God engraved on your soul and can stand before Him with “freedom and confidence” because of His free gift of salvation you chose to receive (Ephesians 3:12).
Here are just a few of the incredible promises of God regarding a person who has chosen to put their faith in Christ:
We are His child!
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1
We are free from condemnation or punishment!
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:1-2
And lastly, my favorite which was one of the first verses I memorized and have held onto through various trials (emphasis is mine):
Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze. …
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you,
and people in exchange for your life.
Do not be afraid, for I am with you…
Isaiah 43:1-5
Long before we ever did anything for God, He said His creation was “very good” (Genesis 1:31). In fact, while we were still separated from God, He loved us. If He loved us while we were still in our sin, it is clear that His love for us isn’t based on what we do.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
You might say, “Michelle, I have received God’s gift of salvation. I know that I can’t earn my way to heaven.” Fantastic. I am so glad that you believe that. However, I have spoken to many believers who are still stuck in the performance mentality of trying to be enough or trying to earn God’s love. If your worth is based on what you do, you will always be trapped in this cycle believing that if you can just do enough or be enough, then God will love and approve of you.
But if your worth is based on the fact that you are His child, then nothing can change that. Just like our salvation, we can’t earn His love and therefore, we can’t lose it. If we as humans can love our children when they are not doing what they should, when they take diaper cream and smear it all over themselves or destroy our favorite possessions, how much greater does God love us as the perfect God, the Holy One, Creator of the Universe?
The culture tells you that you are worthy only if you achieve a certain status, position, economic class, etc… We may praise our children for doing things, for their great achievements, for looking a certain way or being gifted with intelligence. And while it’s not bad to certainly acknowledge their accomplishments, the danger lies in them believing that their worth is based on what they do. Which brings it back to us.
If we find our worth in anything besides the fact that we are a child of God, then we will ride the waves of insecurity. If our worth is based on our job whatever that might be, if we lose that job, we lose our worth. If its based on what we look like, believe me that there will come a day when no matter how much plastic surgery you get, you will not be a “hottie” or make heads turn. And then your worth will suffer.
But if your worth is based on the fact that you are God’s child, a daughter or son of the King, if you believe that you are loved by Him, accepted by Him, and precious to Him, there is nothing that can take that away. No job loss, no amount of gravity pulling your body down so that we “slowly melt like a candle” as my doctor says, no financial crisis. No matter what you do or don’t do, your worth wrapped up in your identity as a child of God is secure. Instead of having to perform to earn God’s love, you can be joyful in doing things because of God’s love. Instead of believing that He is waiting to give you a nod of approval after you achieve so much, believe that He loves to simply see you smile and enjoys gazing at you much as we enjoy watching our children just be. He delights in us and finds joy in us just being His children!
I believe the main reason I could walk away from a wonderful job and title giving me money, authority, and approval from the world was because I believed that me being God’s child was enough, that my worth was wrapped up in this truth and not in anything else. I had heard the LORD call me “His daughter”. I know that He loves to see me smile.
It’s one thing to mentally assent to that truth. It’s quite another to take hold and possess that truth for yourself. Believe it my friend: You matter to God because you are His. Bask in that truth today. Teach it to your children. Pray for God to help you bury it deep in your soul where nothing and no one can take it away. And lastly, enjoy just being God’s child. You don’t have to earn His love. Simply receive it, embrace it, and love Him in return. He loves to see you smile….
For the One 