I’ve been thinking, after last post, about not letting a moment define me. The obvious question is: what should define us, if anything? If we leave that question unanswered something will fill it because obviously we are going to be defined by something or someone.
Maybe it’s a role of some kind; spouse, parent, single person. Military wife, pastor’s wife, widower. Maybe it’s an illness or disorder; cancer, autism, infertile. Or maybe it is a moment from our past; failure, survivor, loser. There are all kinds of things that we can be defined by. But they are all secondary. Some are lies. They all lie in the fact that they define our worth of some kind.
Our worth does not lie in what we are, what we’ve done or who we are. Our worth is defined by whose we are. We are daughters and sons of the King of Creation. The fact we were thought of before time began and loved, gives us worth. Our worth was already validated before we were born.
“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. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.” Eph 1:4-8 NLT.
We don’t have to do anything to earn it. We don’t have to perform. We don’t have to work our way up some scale that gives us points for doing this or that. Thankfully, we don’t have to achieve perfection. We don’t have to do a single thing yet we are still loved. Still worth the cross in Jesus’ eyes.
This is who defines us. I’m glad it’s him – Three in One. I’m only starting to really get to know Him. God’s own Son who gave up everything in Heaven; his home for starters. I don’t think we even come close to understanding what He gave up for us.
He put on flesh and came to earth to bring us salvation, redemption and love. The more I get to know this God-Man the more I’m drawn to Him. He is perfection but totally approachable. Crowds crushed around him. They travelled miles for His healing touch. He was radical and what he said they had never heard before. He had compassion for everyone from a grieving mother to a Samaritan woman by a well. Thousands followed him from place to place. He has not changed. He is the same today as He was back then. Still approachable. Still waiting for us to come to Him.
He treated everyone with dignity, compassion and love. But He is God and no push-over. He has no problem calling a spade a spade. He is majestic and holy and righteous. He wants us to be who He created us to be. He is cheering us on. It may take some painful pruning. That’s a guarantee. It hurts but like any good Father, it’s applied with a loving hand. He walks us through it. He doesn’t leave us to crash and burn in failure.
The offer is good to anyone. Because in His eyes we are all worth it. No matter what.
If that wasn’t enough: He died a brutal death because we are worth it. He defeated Satan and all our sins because we are worth it. He endured suffering and shame that wasn’t his but ours because we are worth it. He saw who we were created to be. He saw our potential. But beyond that He saw us. Just as we are. Sons and daughters. Heirs to His Kingdom and He loved us.
I am so grateful that I am defined by this: For God so loved me that he gave his one and only son so that I would not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 paraphrase mine)