“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.” Psalm 139: 13-16
Too often we tend to be our worst critic or our greatest fan. We all carry guilt for things we have done or not done, but we should stop judging and evaluating ourselves, for this is not our role. Above all, we should stop comparing ourselves with other people, which produces feelings of pride or inferiority and sometimes a mixture of both.
Jesus leads each of His children along a path that is uniquely tailor-made for them. Comparing with others is not only wrong; it is also meaningless.
Don’t look for affirmation in the wrong places: your own evaluations, or those of other people. The only source of real affirmation is His unconditional love.
He knew us before He knitted us in our mother’s womb. He uniquely created us. There is no one else like you. We are all unique. Expressly made for God’s special purpose.
Many believers perceive Him as a judge we cannot please who is angrily searching out our faults and failures. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He died for our sins, so that He might clothe us in His garments of salvation.
When He disciplines us, it is never in anger or disgust; it is to prepare us for face-to-face fellowship with Him throughout all eternity. We should immerse ourselves in His loving presence. Be receptive to His affirmation, which flows continually from the throne of grace.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. (Luke 6:37) Don’t judge yourself by comparison with others, just thank God for being you.
By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney
If you are reading this devotional by email you can respond by clicking on this link:
https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/2015/08/16/jg_thanks-for-being-you/
