ReThink Life

RETHINK YOU . . . AS VALUABLE
Imagine me handing you a crisp, new, one-hundred-
dollar bill. Would you want it? Suppose I crumpled it up so it didn’t look as nice as when it first came from the mint. Would you still want it? Sure you would! But wait. What if I took it outside and threw it on the ground and stomped on it so that it got so stained that the picture on the bill was barely recognizable. Would you still want it? Of course! God sees you as valuable, no matter what challenges and difficulties have entered your life and tarnished your original, mint condition. Even though you feel crumpled, stomped, and stained, you’re still a hundred-dollar bill. Just as that hundred-dollar bill maintains its value, you never lose your value. Your value has been established by the Creator of the universe, and no one can take that away from you.
Our identity is incredibly important, but most of us would rather have a root canal than take a look inside the Pandora’s box of our hearts to see what’s really there. Objectivity, however, isn’t optional. The process of rethinking our lives begins with a courageous look at the very core of who we are and how we perceive ourselves. If we’re honest about what we find, it will get messy—even ugly—but the process will unveil the lies that hold us captive. But it’s not all bad news. It will also reveal liberating truth that we are deeply loved, totally accepted, and completely forgiven by God. Then we have a choice: to reject the lies and live in the truth.
To see yourself as valuable and, in fact, priceless in the eyes of God, ask yourself these questions about your self-perception:
• How do you see yourself: as a valuable treasure or damaged goods, a masterpiece of God’s creation or a disgraceful person?
• Do you see yourself as a paper cup—disposable, easily used, and then thrown away? Or do your see yourself as a crystal goblet that has high value and is treated with respect?
• How do you feel about yourself? What words do you use to describe yourself—especially when you’ve failed and no one is around to hear you?
• As you reflected on these questions, how did you come up with your answers? Whose voice did you hear in your head?
Many of us obsess over our inadequacies and flaws. Messages from the world of advertising, competition, and gossip tell us we don’t measure up and need to change to be acceptable. In fact, in any given year, Americans spend over a hundred and sixty billion dollars on beauty. We spend more on beauty than we do on educating our children. We spend this enormous amount of money on makeup, skin and hair care, fragrances, cosmetic surgery, health clubs, and diet aids. We live in a culture consumed with trying to create the perfect façade. We believe that if we can look a certain way, drive a certain car, live in a certain neighborhood, earn a certain title in our careers, and impress a certain group of people, we can find happiness and fulfillment. We think that “image is reality,” so we devote our time, money, and energy in crafting our image for the world to see. And before we shake our heads at “those people out there,” we need to look at ourselves very carefully. Most Christians are caught up in this deception just as much as anyone else. God wants so much more for us than this!
I (Michelle) have a friend who works for a medical spa in Dallas where people can get services or treatments to improve their appearance. She finds it amazing in today’s economy—when people are struggling financially—that so many still come to the spa and spend their entire paychecks to get treatments designed to make them look younger and more like the images they see on the covers of fashion magazines. These people—mostly women—know they can’t afford these services, but they’re convinced they can’t live without them. There’s nothing wrong with having nice clothes, wearing makeup, and looking our best—as long as those things don’t take first place in our hearts. As long as they’re secondary, we can enjoy them with a good heart and a clear conscience. The real source of our confidence isn’t in these things; it’s in the radical, wonderful love of God. When we see ourselves as God sees us, we experience true Godfidence.
Too often, we obsess over the things we believe will make us beautiful, because we’re sure they will give us true happiness. The problem is that this strategy never works. No matter how much money we spend on beauty treatments or how we work at having a more beautiful body, we’ll always feel inferior to the gorgeous models in the ads (and maybe even the beautiful people sitting near us at church). No matter how much time and money we spend on looking great, we will always need the next cosmetic treatment, because the last one didn’t correct every flaw. We’ll need more diets pills, because the last batch didn’t take off enough pounds, and another trip to the salon for the latest hair style, because the last one didn’t turn out quite right. We become consumed with creating a false image of ourselves, and in the process, we lose sight of who we really are. These misguided efforts destroy our identity and mar our true beauty.
Why do we obsess over our appearance and focus so much of our time and energy on external things? More importantly, why do we who claim to know the God of the universe—who loves us dearly—look to the culture’s solutions to find happiness? Take time to rethink the steps you take to achieve beauty, success, and happiness. Answer these questions:
• Is your self-image based on what the world says or what God says? How can you tell?
• Does the world or the Word of God shape your perspective of who you are and how you see yourself? What are the messages of each one?
• Are you better off when you listen to commercials or God’s voice? What’s the difference?
Israel’s first king, Saul, was the tallest and most handsome man in the land. Everyone was awed by his appearance, but he proved to be a poor king. Finally, God sent the prophet Samuel to Jesse’s house to anoint the next king of Israel, but God didn’t tell the prophet which of Jesse’s sons was the new leader. Jesse paraded his sons in front of the old prophet, and one of them was particularly impressive. Samuel was sure this was the one. But the Lord told him, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
We go to the mountains and the coast to enjoy nature, but God calls us the pinnacle of creation! Jesus didn’t die for trees and manatees he gave his life for us. When the people following Christ needed reassurance of God’s vast and endless love, he told them, “Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds!” (Luke 12:24).
As believers, we’re too blessed to be obsessed. The love and acceptance of God overwhelms feelings of doubt and inadequacy. Why don’t we bask in our identity as beloved children of God? Because our minds are so cluttered with the messages of the world. We value the opinions of others instead of the opinion of God. For too long we’ve sacrificed inner peace, joy, and happiness by allowing the world to shape our self-image. Without realizing it, we’ve chosen to be conformers instead of embracing the life of a transformed child of God.