Are you feeling a bit down today? Are you still confused about what you’re actually doing here? Do you feel as if you’re all alone? Do you feel more like a failure than a success? Do lots of questions still remain unanswered? This may be the answer you can hold onto: ¹²So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you ... 

Did you see what this verse says? You are a very special person. Even if it doesn’t feel like it. Even if you sometimes feel like a failure. Even if you feel that it’s better to remove yourself from society, since you don’t mean anything to anybody. In fact, your problems exceed the good and enjoyable stuff.

Yes, you are special.

For God, you are one of his special children. He chose you even before you were born. He knows you are special, because He made you. You are the result of his creation. You know how we like stuff we make ourselves? Just like that, God cannot stop looking at you and cannot stop liking what came from his hands.

I wanted to celebrate my fiftieth birthday with as many people as possible, so we had to think creatively. So, I decided to invite a group of friends every evening, ten days in a row, for a hamburger barbeque. We had a bowl of mincemeat with a variety of herbs, spices and cheese that the guests could use to make their own hamburger patties to their liking.

People loved it. Each person thought his burger was the best and wanted the others to taste it. Aren’t all of us like this? If we made something ourselves, if we put something together, we think it’s the best in the world. We think nobody can make this as well as we do. Initially, I was a bit unsure about this creative idea of ours, but this personal involvement in making your own food added incredible value to the evening.

I suspect we inherited this characteristic from God, because God feels exactly the same way about what He has made. Each person with his or her unique characteristics is God’s best effort. You are the best that God has made. God is crazy about you. You are the apple of God’s eye, because He made you and He doesn’t make rubbish.

This is difficult for us to believe, because we know what we’ve done. We are so ashamed and feel bad about it. Then it’s difficult for us to believe that God has chosen us and still loves us. But there is one thing that we must remember always: Nothing that you or I can ever do can change our status.

My messing up does not draw a line through God’s status as Creator. None the less can I draw a line through the love He has for me. Yes, my messing up makes Him sad and hurts my Creator, but I can never ever draw a line through the fact that He made me and really loves what He has made.

Sometimes, in all the confusion and the difficult times, when the waves keep on crashing over my head, I hang onto this with all I have and repeat over and over in my head: God chose me. That’s why I’m special. Yes, I don’t understand everything and I actually feel as if I’m in a dead-end street with no way out, and then I call out loud: God loves me!

I am here for a purpose, even if I don’t yet understand what! Here, where I’ve put up my tent on earth, this is where God has put me. He has intended me to be here now. Here, today, God has made a place for me specially, a place where He can love me, where He wants to make me feel special, and where He has chosen that I should live for Him!

If you’re sitting in your office right now, or walking in the veld somewhere, or driving in your car, repeat these three things again and again:

God chose me!

I’m a special person in this world!

God loves me so much!

Scripture

Colossians3:12-17

https://bible.com/97/col.3:12-17.msg

Reflection

Do you realise the worth that you have in God’s eyes?

What does it mean to you?

What difference does it make in your life today?

Prayer

Wow, Father, your love for me is wonderful! Too much for me to understand. Thank you for me getting my worth from You. Thank you for seeing me as a special person and for loving me so very much. All glory to You! Amen.