My View of Me

Today's Reading: Psalm 45, Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Scripture:

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us…" Ephesians 2:4

Observation:

God's love is an amazing thing to behold. In the context of the passage, two very different groups of people are being brought together. These two groups, the Jews and the Gentiles, were different as night and day. The Jews had always looked down on the Gentiles as being less than themselves. The Gentiles looked at the God they observed working in the lives of Jews as being a far off God they could never experience. Paul in addressing them both refocused them on their unity in God's love. He is reminding them that they are all on equal footing.

Application:

I have to change the way I view myself. The attacks from Satan on my ego and self-image started at a very young age and left wounds that have yet to heal. I am constantly down on myself. I totally focus on what I perceive to be the strengths of others and how far ahead of me everyone seems to be. I get down on myself and feel pretty inadequate most of the time. Thinking about my abilities is sin. Whether I think highly of myself or lowly of myself matters not. Both lines of thought are equally sinful.

This morning's passage is an invitation to find life and confidence not in myself, but in God. He loves me. He created me to walk in good works.

Prayer:

Father many nights I sit and feel useless. I look at my struggles and am overwhelmed by the gap between who I feel I am and the man I long to be. My imagination creates an image of me that is totally unrealistic and completely unattainable.

I feel totally incapable of moving past this. I do not know how to lose myself in what You did for me on the cross. I do not really know what it means to sit in Your Glory and love and rest peacefully in their warmth.

I ask that the eyes of my heart be opened to fully grasp the workmanship of You that is me. Help me to not degrade what You gifted me to be, but to obediently walk in the good works You prepared for me before hand.