Beautiful

I was having a discussion with my youngest daughter about some things that people do on Facebook that we really don't like.  One of her biggest pet peeves was a "friend" who constantly posts negative comments about herself.  I have seen other people do this same thing on my own page.  We agreed that these people are just trying to get others to pay attention to them and post something nice about them.  I think all of us do this from time to time.  My husband calls it "fishing for a compliment".  We all like to hear good things about ourselves and I suppose a little "fishing" from time to time on Facebook or in real life is not that big of a deal but I wonder about those who do it so frequently. I am amazed sometimes about the things that people will "tweet", "post" or "text" to others. (Like I tell my oldest daughter-you don't have to write and send every thought in your head!  But that could be a whole other topic on which to blog!)  With all this stuff out there in public, though, I have started to see something that really breaks my heart.  There are a lot of people who really don't feel loved or see themselves as important.

There are many reasons we can feel this way.  The world has a way of making us bitter, angry, and hurtful towards others.  Many of us are guilty of lashing out, saying things we don't mean or becoming angry at situations that don't call for such emotion.  We erect walls and stop talking to family or friends.  Others are frustrated by the lot life has given them. We feel disappointed and negative.  All of this leads to people feeling unloved and unimportant.  But listen.  If you are relying on family, friends, job, etc., etc. to make you feel loved and important let me tell you something.  It will never happen.  There is only one who can make us complete and that is God-the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Some of you may be rolling your eyes right now and saying "Whatever!" and I can tell you there was a time in my life that I would have been doing exactly the same thing.  I went to the pits of despair in my life with depression.  Counseling and medication helped me but there was still something missing.  It was God who filled that hole in me and made me feel truly loved and important.  There is no one who knows us better than he does. 

     For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts, God!  How vast is the sum of them.  Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand —when I awake, I am still with you.     Psalm 139:13-18

One of God's greatest acts of love was sending his son, Jesus, to die for us.  The story of Jesus is so amazing that sometimes it is hard for me to wrap my mind around.  But that is my human thinking trying to make sense of it.  Several weeks ago my pastor said something that has stuck in my mind.  The story of Jesus is simple.  As people we complicate everything.  We study his story.  We argue over small, insignificant matters.  We form different denominations.  We write books to argue that our opinion is correct.  But here is the simple statement about God's love for us in probably the most famous piece of scripture in the Bible.  

     For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.     John 3:16

He died for you.  If you believe that, you get to live forever with God. Simple. My friends, we are all treasured by Him.  He loves us more than anyone can ever love us.  No matter who we are and no matter what we have done, we are beautiful to him.

Check out these two great songs by Mercy Me and Big Daddy Weave and hear more about how you are loved.

Beautiful by Mercy Me:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6pS5HCkgPI

Redeemed by Big Daddy Weave:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSyLqbP8Z4I