A n old grain farmer looked out his kitchen door one morning
and saw a butterfly cocoon. The man watched as the moth struggled. Finally the struggle became so intense that the man thought the butterfly would die. He thought that without help this butterfly wasn't going to escape from the cocoon. The man took his pocket knife and carefully cut a slit in the side of the cocoon. Almost immediately, one wing appeared and then the other. The butterfly was free. But it didn't fly. It took a few steps, fell over on its side and died. You see, its body was large but its wings were small and weak. It needed to struggle to become strong enough to be able to fly. Sometimes the struggle is exactly what we need. What do you need? Do you view struggles and hurts as a good thing?
So far we have looked at ten secrets for self-acceptance. In this session we are going to look at five more of these secrets.
11. IS REJECTING MYSELF THE SAME AS REJECTING GOD?
Just like an artist expresses his values and thoughts on canvas or paper, God expresses Himself through His creation. We are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). The Greek work for workmanship (poiema) means "a work of art." It is the same word we get our word poem from. Each unchangeable part of my life is like a word that the masterful poet carefully chooses or like a color that is wisely prepared by the artist. Imagine that the canvas that the artist paints on had a will of it's own and was able to say, "I don't like these colors on me. I reject them." In rejecting the colors, the canvas is rejecting the message and purpose of its designer. In the same way when I reject the unchangeable features that God has designed for me I reject Him and His message and purposes for my life. When someone says, "I hate myself," "I hate life" or "I hate what is happening to me" this is really against God.
12. IS IT TRUE THAT BECAUSE OF MY SIN NATURE MY BODY IS EVIL?
God says that you and I are
(Psalm 139:14). But Paul writes in Romans 7:18, "I know that in (my flesh) dwells no good thing." The word for flesh is the Greek word sarx. The same word is used in Romans 8:8 which says, "they that are in the flesh cannot please God." In this verse the word for flesh, sarx, is not talking about my physical body, but my sinful human nature.
One of Satan's goals is to get me to reject my body or to view my body as evil. Why does Satan hate my body? (1) Satan is the enemy of God and I am made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). (2) My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit slows down Satan's work (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). And (3) when the members of my body are yielded to God they become powerful weapons against Satan (Romans 6:13) and he doesn't like that.
13. HOW VALUABLE AM I REALLY?
One day the religious leaders asked Jesus, "Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?" Jesus answered, "Give me a coin. Whose image is on this coin?" They said, "Caesar's." Then Jesus said, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and give to God the things that are God's"(Mark 12:13-17). Where was the image of Caesar? On the coin. Where is the image of God? Genesis 1:27 says, "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him." You are made in the image of God. You are valuable. God's image is on your life. So give the coin to Caesar (pay your taxes), but give yourself to God. In Matthew 6:26 Jesus said,
Matthew 6:26 |
"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value then they?" |
Are diamonds valuable? They are just rocks. Why are they valuable? Because people have chosen to value them. Are you valuable? Why? Because God has chosen to value you.
14. WHAT IF OTHERS TREAT ME OF LITTLE VALUE?
Now if your friends, your parents, your brothers and sisters said you were worthless, it would not change your real value. You are so valuable that Jesus died for you. When God created man and woman He looked at them and said, "It is very good"(Genesis 1:31). And when God looks at you, made in His image, he says, "You are valuable ... very good." Why are you valuable? Because God says you are valuable. And whatever God values is valuable!
15. WHY DO I FEEL SO WORTHLESS?
I have in my hand a crisp, new 10,000 won bill. Who would like this? (Take the bill and wad it up so it is wrinkled). Now who would like it? (Take the bill and drop it on the floor and step on it so the bill gets dirty). Now who wants it? Why? It is wrinkled and dirty. It is no longer new like it was. Of course the answer is a new bill is worth just as much as a dirty one. The fact that it has wrinkles and dirt on it does not make it worth less. The same is true for people. We start out as a small child clean and new. But when we sin we feel dirty and guilty and worthless. After we sin we are not clean and new, but guess what God still loves us and thinks we are valuable.
During World War II an American pilot was shot down in the Philippines and parachuted into enemy territory. He was hurt and had to hide so no one would capture him. Finally a local Philipino man befriended and hid him in his Nipa hut. He helped the American get better and finally to escape. After a few months the man received a letter in the mail. He couldn't read it but inside were green pieces of paper. The man thought these papers were very pretty. So he pinned them inside his house, on his wall, like wallpaper. Almost every month a letter came and more green papers. After several months the inside of his house was completely green. One day a traveling salesman came through. This man showed the salesman his house. When the salesman saw what the man called "green decorations" he said, "If you'll give me those green papers I'll give you anything you want from my cart. The man picked out a few trinkets and gave the salesman his green decorations." But what he didn't know was that each of his green decorations was a $20 bill. He traded thousands of dollars for just a few trinkets. Why? Because he didn't know what he had. He didn't realize how valuable those papers were. Some of you don't realize how valuable you are. You are very valuable to God. Never forget that!
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by Steve Nicholes
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