His Beloved, His Own

I would like you to get a piece of paper and make three lists. In the first list, write adjectives describing how you think others would describe you. In the second, write adjectives you think describe you. In the third, write adjective you think describe how God views you.

                Looking back over the lists, are they different? If so, why? In the last devotional, I discussed how God can see every part of us, even our dark sides. What does your God list reveal? Does this list show the ‘real’ you? Now, look at your lists one more time and ask yourself which list means the most to you.

                I often wonder what God thinks of me. If He had my list, would He write down the same adjectives I did? Would He write down the same as your?

As a part of my “others list,” one of the adjectives I wrote down was quiet. Even when I was little, I was never the social butterfly, never the loud mouth. However I always knew that I wasn’t anti-social, that I liked talking to people and liked getting to know them. Before I could show that side, I was labeled as the quiet girl, the wallflower, and then it became who I was.

Looking over my lists, the word that jumped out at me was a word I had put on the “my list,” which was untrusting. Although I wouldn’t put this word on the “others list,” I think it goes along with why I was so quiet. For a long time, I didn’t trust others, myself, and especially not God. Not making connections with those around me was much easier than being rejected.

Think about how your lists relate to each other. Then, please watch Jason Gray’s video.

                How often are we slaves to how the world views us? When those around us tell us we are ______(fill in the blank), do we listen? Do we let it become who we are?

Please read Colossians 3:1-17.

                We are His beloved, yet is this how we view ourselves? As the Scripture says, we must have compassion, forgiveness, and patience towards those around us, despite how they view us. We are not of this world, but we are of God. Please end in a prayer of your own, or the one below.

Dear God, You have called me Your own, even though I don’t deserve that love. I pray that You give me a more grateful heart so that I can always remember all You have done for me. I wish to care only what You think of me, and not what the world thinks of me because You are my only concern. I take the time now to thank You, to praise Your name, and to open my heart to all You have in store for me. In Your Name Alone, Amen.