Happy Sabbath friends! I want you to take a moment to reflect on how you view yourself…would you say it is more positive? negative? indifferent? I know for myself, I have moments when I look down on myself…I am my own worst critic I would say…but in moments when my viewpoint of myself is everything but positive, that is when I need to give it to God. In God’s point of view, we are worthy, loved, priceless, and so much more. It hurts Him so much more when we are faced with moments when we look down on ourselves. Each and every single one of us are special in our own way because the Creator of the Universe created US.

What exactly is our Heavenly Father’s point of view on us?

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We are deeply loved by Him. Our God’s love is unconditional…so much so that He loved us before we even chose Him.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8 NIV

We are made in God’s image. Since we are made in His image, we have worth and purpose.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27 NIV

We are chosen and set apart. God views us as valuable and blesses us with a purpose to share His light and good news.

“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 NIV

We are not condemned. In God, we are forgiven and accepted. All of our past mistakes, sins, etc., are gone from the eyes of the Lord as soon as we surrender them to Him.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2 NIV

We are known and cared for. God should be our best friend as He knows us personally and intimately, and DESIRES to know every aspect of you.

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 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.”
Psalms 139:1-2, 13-14 NIV

We are God’s children. We are looked at as His beloved son and daughter. For those reading this message who have children, I am sure you understand the love that you have for your own children…imagine that love 10x stronger…that is the love God has for His children (which is you and me).

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”
1 John 3:1 NIV

We are never alone. God is and will be with us through every high and low that we may face in our lives. We just need to choose Him.

“But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Isaiah 43:1-2 NIV

The next time you are faced with moments when you are viewing yourself as anything but positive…before you allow those thoughts to consume your mind and bring you down, I ask that you turn to the Word of God, and allow Him to remind you of how special, priceless, and loved you are in Him. God’s point of view of us is the ONLY point of view that should matter as everything that comes from God is the truth and only the truth.

I pray over all who are reading this message that they may be filled with Your love, Jesus. In moments when we are faced with a negative viewpoint on ourselves, help us to remember to turn to You immediately, and allow You to remind us of Your point of view. Help us to view ourselves in the same way You view each and every single one of us. Thank You for always loving us, giving us a purpose, choosing us, forgiving us, knowing us, and being by our side every step of the way.

“For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.”
Deuteronomy 7:6 NIV

Amen.