"Look at the flying creatures of heaven, that they are not sowing, neither are they reaping, nor are they gathering into barns, and your heavenly Father is nourishing them. Are not you of more consequence than they?
Matthew 6: 26, Concordant New Testament
Confidence is a wonderful thing. That is, unless you have none. Have you ever noticed that it does not take too much to evaporate the good feeling we have accumulated during the day? Someone or something comes along and suddenly you're feeling low once more. Yet there is something which I have noticed about this entire scenario. That is, we should already have a pretty good idea of just how important and valuable we are. We are so important, that we were saved even before we were born. That's right, even before we were born the Lord provided us with a future. So, with a good idea of where we stand in life, how is it that we could ever slide into the depression of wondering who we are? Simple, we've forgotten who it is that we really are. Now, I more than anyone could tell stories of how many times I've felt abandoned, used and abused by others simply because I forgot the man I was inside. It's that simple. The so called experts will tell you that the secret to confidence is knowing the person you are inside. It's when we forget who that person is that we get into rough waters. We do well to remember that we were never created to wonder who we are. We were not created to doubt our own worth. From the beginning the Lord created us with the knowledge of who we are in Him. You may have read that we are created in His image {Genesis 2:27}. This is how our heavenly Father made us. We indeed have Him in us {Genesis 2:7}. From the beginning He was a part of us, that's who we are. That's who I am.
With Christ have I been crucified, yet I am living; no longer I, but living in me is Christ. Now that which I am now living in the flesh, I am living in faith that is of the Son of God, Who loves me, and gives Himself up for me.
Galatians 2: 20, Concordant New Testament
Most everyone can tell of the times when they have felt ignored, snubbed or forgotten. The stories I could tell. Yet I see these moments as opportunities to remember what the Lord accomplished for me. In spite of my condition, God provided His Son as a sacrifice for me. How many people do you know that would do that for anyone? The fact is, even before I was born the Lord knew the person I would become. You could say that He created me into the person I am today. Now, many Christians still stuck on their religion would argue that it is impossible for God to be united with a sinner. That argument might hold water, until Jesus came along. Knowing what the Father has accomplished for us does us not a bit of benefit if we cannot recall what He did. Of course, nothing changes if we forget who we are, we simply have forgotten what is. I believe that this is the essence of the confidence we have in Him, knowing who we are in spite of all which is going on around us. Others may treat us wrongly, yet that in no way is an indication of who we truly are. The reality of Christ in us is not determined by the opinions of others. Lesson learned.
~Scott~
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