By: Rex Stump
Wauseon, Ohio
How would you describe yourself? What are the three or four words that depict you? Is it loving? Caring? Friendly? Smart?
Or is it lonely? Inadequate? Angry? Are there old labels of too tall? Too skinny? Too fat? Loser? Not pretty? Never amount to anything?
This is something psychologists call our self-image. It’s the mental picture or conception of oneself. It’s the idea of your self-worth. How did this come about?
There are all kinds of contributing factors. Your parents have the biggest impact on that, authority figures too. When you are a teenager, your peers influence you, culture and media. But what about God’s truth?
We see ourselves through the lens of accomplishments, failures, outward comparisons…but God sees us differently. God sees you through the lens of the forgiveness and the blood of His Son. He loves you just as He loves Jesus. That’s what the Bible teaches.
Ephesians 1:4-5, “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”
God chooses you! We know what it’s like to want someone. Dating, marriage, employment, teammate, etc. If you want them, what do you do? You pursue them. Listen carefully.
God wants you. He wants you for Himself.I remember as a kid, whenever we would play football in the front yard, basketball in the barn, or dodgeball or kickball at recess…we picked teams.
As a kid, I just wanted someone to pick me. Being the youngest and the slowest, I wasn’t always wanted at first. It didn’t matter how much I begged, or how high my hand went, I was at the mercy of the captain who picked.
That desire to be wanted is in you and me. How much of our lives is spent doing crazy things to be noticed or chosen? How we dress, speak, act, just so our desire of being wanted is fulfilled?
Our lives often are just filled with: if I can do this, or, if I could achieve this, or, if I looked like this, or, if I could have that, then I would be more acceptable and then I would be wanted.
God says, I want you. When Paul wrote this, inspired by God’s Spirit, it wasn’t written to debate. This was written for people to know that the awesome God who spoke the galaxies into existence sent God the Son, who died in your place, and He wants you!
Remember this truth: we are chosen by Him. It’s unearned. It’s not based on what you do. Literally, we are picked out personally for Himself, and it brings Him great joy!
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Rex Stump is the Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and serves as a Pastor at True North Church in Wauseon, Ohio.
