You Are
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10
Insight
While you read this devotional, don't mind me. I'll be crying in the corner, realizing I only have a year until my oldest daughter heads off to college. As a parent, time speeds up rather than slows down. When Madison packs up her suitcase to move into her dorm, there will be more than just clothes, makeup, and home decor inside it.
Contained within it will be convictions and a belief system. She'll leave the safety of my roof with all those little nuggets of truth I tried to pass down to her. My wife and I have five values that we've attempted to live out, pass down, and ingrain into the heart and souls of girls over the years.
There's no magic secret to these values. They work for us. If you're a parent, I'd encourage you to develop a few for your household. I won't go into detail about ours, but I wanted to share one that lines up with the truths contained in today's passage: Know WHO determines your worth.
Trusting in a value like that is easier said than done, especially in a culture where the value currency is likes and followers on social media. My girls get bombarded daily with a message that their worth is conditional. They have to look, act, and behave in a certain way to fit in. Keeping Up with the Kardashian's isn't just a reality tv show; it's become a way of life.
But, it's not just teenage girls who struggle with letting the world determine their worth. I think we all do to some capacity. As adults, both male and female, we look to our status, job title, families, income bracket, and online appearance (to name a few) to establish our standing.
This line of thinking even sneaks into our relationship with God and our warped perception of how He views us. If we behave, everything is hunky-dory; if not, then we're rejected. We attempt to earn His love through our behavior. Spiritual disciplines like praying, reading our Bible, serving, and giving become merit badges that hopefully prove to God we're on the right side of His favor.
Peter recognized the toxicity of holding this viewpoint, so he pens a letter to Jewish Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor. He tries to reorient their perspective by hammering home a value: Know WHO determines your worth. Take a moment to reread today's passage and notice what it says about YOU and YOUR VALUE to God.
You are...
chosen,
holy,
special,
called,
covered in mercy,
and part of God's family.
It doesn't matter what the world says you are or aren't. How others view you is insignificant. Society isn't the judge and jury over your worth. That case lies in God's hands, and He's already settled the matter. He loves you unconditionally. You have value not because of what you've done but solely because of who God is - loving, forgiving, and compassionate. Carve out some time today to unpack that truth.
Reflection
Who or what have you allowed to define you over the years? Why did this thing have so much power over you?
Where do you struggle to view yourself the way God sees you?
Prayer
God, the world tries to convince me that I'm worthless and unlovable. Remind me that I'm Your beloved. The enemy shouts his lies while You whisper words of forgiveness and mercy over me. May I allow You and You alone to determine my worth. In Your name, Jesus. Amen.
