having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. Ephesians 1:5-6
For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15
It was God’s intent and pleasure to create us, and it is His job to define us. We were designed to be in relationship with God and call Him, “Abba Father”. Adam & Eve walked with God daily before the Fall. It was only after the Fall that Adam & Eve ran to hide from Him. The sin changed their perception of God and made them fearful rather than accepted by Him.
Sin stripped us out of our value by breaking our fellowship with God. We became ensnared and enslaved to insecurity because we were void of definition. Living without a relationship with God is like living as an orphan spiritually. This causes a person to feel lonely, disconnected, and unsafe about life.
People can wonder if they matter in this big wide world. Rejection and disappointment is part of this darkened world. It is easy to feel that we don’t belong and that relationships are transitory and temporary. At times, those of us who are mature believers can feel that way too. All of us need to examine our value to see if it based on the One who is stable, unchanging, and consistent!
It was God’s intent to be the source of stability for us. Jesus came to restore our value by dying on the cross and showing us how much we are treasured. He opens His arms to accept those who are tired of others defining them. He reaches out to those who are hurt and bruised by other’s definition of worth. He receives those who are willing to admit that they are bankrupt and exhausted from trying to prove themselves and meet other’s standard of worth.
Meditate on the above scriptures, feel His embrace, and see His smile. Are you willing to lay down the wrong definitions that made you feel unloved and devalued? Are you willing to accept God’s report about you and refrain from proving or defending yourself to others? This can be hard even for mature believers because they can rely on certain people or activities to validate their worth. It may take a period of time to intentionally consider your actions and avoid things that feel like you are proving yourself.
