Wineskins Contributor・02/27/19

If you had asked me this question some years ago, I would haveimmediately replied:

Absolutely!

Yet, the truth was that I typically found my value elsewhere. At times, I put my value in my abilities, the number of speakingopportunities I might have, or in whether or not I felt valued by certainpeople.  The affirmation of others was far too important to me. Consequently, instead of living as a person deeply loved by God, I livedin order to receive the affirmation, love, and pleasure of others.  Again,I would have affirmed that I believed that I was loved by God, but my life saidthat I really sought value and love elsewhere.

Do you relate to any of these?

*Perhaps you are constantly talking about how smart andexceptional your child is.  Could it be that you are finding your worth inhow well she is performing academically?

*Perhaps you talk on and on about your child’s athletic ability. Could it be that you are finding your worth in how well he is performingon the basketball court?

*Do you ever find yourself really disturbed about any change inyour body?  Could it be that you are finding your worth in your physicalattractiveness?

*Could it be that you are finding too much of your identity andself-worth in the size or location of your house, the car you drive, or yourvacation destination?

I recently read Psalm 103 again.  The chapter saturates thereader with the absolute, incomprehensible love of God for his children —including you and me.  Within this Psalm are these amazing words, “For ashigh as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those whofear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed ourtransgressions from us” (103:11-12).  If I am certain of his love for me,my life then takes on a much different flavor.  If I live out of theriches of his love for me, then I am not always functioning in order to getsomeone’s affirmation, attention, compliment, etc.  

In other words, I am a “full" person (full and confident ofGod’s love) relating to others out of the overflow of God’s love for me.  If I am confident of God’s love for me, I am living in his love, secure in hislove, and treasured in his love.  I then relate to others as a person whocan give and serve, not looking for what I can get out of the relationship.

This is very different than trying to live out of my emptiness andrelating to people in order to get filled up with love, affirmation, andapplause.  Living out of my emptiness can cause me to see people for whatI can get from them.  I may use my children, my possessions, my beauty, orany other asset to somehow get more affirmation and approval.  Living thisway is a dead-end street.

To be absolutely convinced of God’s love for me, allows me to seemyself as a person valued, loved, and affirmed fully.  Perhaps then, as ananswer to Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, we can begin to grasp the depth ofGod’s love for us.“Ipray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power throughhis Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts throughfaith.  And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, mayhave power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide andlong and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpassesknowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”(Eph. 3:16-19)