Get the Book Join the Mailing List
Day 3: Friday after Ash Wednesday
Scripture Verses
- Matthew 6:25–26
- Psalm 139:1–16
- 1 Peter 2:4–11
Questions to Consider
- In what ways do you feel inadequate or unworthy?
- What voices are you listening to which cause you to feel unworthy that you need to silence?
- What voices do you need to start amplifying?
- What does God say about your feelings of unworthiness?
Plan of Action
- If you have feelings of inadequacy or unworthiness, write a love letter to yourself. Tell yourself how much God loves you and how much you mean to him.
- Find a Bible Reading Plan. You can download our Bible Reading Plan at gs4nj.org/biblereadings. Keep in the mind that the Bible is how we hear God speak to us. In the Bible, he tells us how much he loves us and how proud he is of us.
- If you are a parent, make sure to tell your child how proud you are of them. Assure them that you love them for no other reason than the fact that they are your child. Assure them that no matter what mistakes they may make, you will always love them. This is how your Heavenly Father loves you.
Reflection
A child needs the affirmation of their father. But many times that affirmation is not there. The father may be absent or it may be that their father never told them how proud he was of them. He was quick to criticize, but slow to affirm.
When that child grows older, they will continue to search for the blessing of their father. They may become a work-a-holic, believing that through accomplishment they can finally find the fulfillment they are looking for. But they continue to live with a void. In another scenario, it might happen that feelings of unworthiness and self-doubt would be so pervasive that they never pursue God’s calling on their life and settle for less.
Maybe you can relate. You desire love, respect, acceptance, or approval. But you don’t feel worthy. You believe you are not accomplished enough. You believe you are not beautiful enough. You believe you are not able enough. You believe you are not __________ (You fill in the blank).
But these are lies that come straight out of the pit of hell. You are worthy enough because Jesus died for you. He accomplished everything that needed to be accomplished. He makes you beautiful. His Holy Spirit gives you the ability to accomplish all things (see Philippians 4:13).
Before Jesus began his ministry, he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River. And when Jesus was baptized, the voice of the Heavenly Father spoke from heaven:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17 ESV
The ministry of Jesus had yet to begin. He had not yet healed anyone. He had not yet preached any sermons of note. He had not accomplished anything worthy to be recorded in the Scriptures. But still the Father expresses his approval.
Why? It was because of the relationship of the Father to the Son. The Father’s love and approval of the Son was not based on accomplishment. He loved the Son for no other reason than the fact that he was his son.
You are so important to your Heavenly Father that he sent Jesus for you. The Heavenly Father made you and created you. He gave you your life and your being. He loved you so much that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for you. It is not about anything you have accomplished. You need to know that you are the most beautiful, the most precious, and the most prized part of his creation. Your Heavenly Father is proud of you. More than you realize! You are worthy because you are his precious child, redeemed by the blood of Jesus.
We believe God expresses his love through the Bible and through Holy Communion. If the Bible is God’s love letter, then Holy Communion is his hug. So I want to encourage you this Sunday, if your church is celebrating Holy Communion, to go and receive a hug from God. You may need it more than you realize.
http://youtu.be/gksMSyn10MQ