You’re Worth Loving
This year St. Peter’s UCC in Grant Park is providing the book A Love Worth Giving to You at Christmas by Max Lucado for our members to distribute to their families, friends, and neighbors as a small gift. Each book includes an invitation to worship with our church family on Christmas Eve.
Throughout Advent we are reminding everyone that they are worth loving! Lucado writes, “(Jesus) went from commanding angels to sleeping in straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary’s finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier. Why? Because that’s what love does.”
Each day, during Advent, join us for a journey to see just how much God’s love for you is evidenced in the story of Christmas.
Worth Loving
As I’ve been focusing on this idea of how each of YOU are WORTH loving, I am curious as to how many of you truly realize that you are.
Do you really believe that you’re worth it?
God cherishes each of His children. When God created us in His image in Genesis He declared that “we were good.” Yes, sin has taken away our original spiritual nature and made it sinful, but God still desires to restore each of us into the beautiful images He fashioned us in.
The apostle Paul said of Jesus, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” (Colossians 1:15). Can you imagine being created in the image of God? That is the definition of true beauty. Jesus, according to Scripture, was created in God’s image.
So are we!
Take note of something unique in the Gospel writings. Nowhere in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John’s Gospel do we see any description of Jesus physical body. We don’t honestly know how tall Jesus was, how much he weighed, what his hair color/style was, what his skin color was, the color of his eyes, or anything physical about him.
However, we know that the Bible says He is the image of the invisible God.
The lack of attention to Jesus’ physical attributes leads me to reaffirm the position that true beauty is what’s on a person’s inside, not outward appearance.
Now, Jesus’ inward characteristics we are aware of. Compassionate, kind, loving, and the list goes on.
When God created us, He wasn’t, and isn’t, concerned about what we physically look like; rather, He wants us to mirror the inward, beautiful nature of His Son, Jesus Christ.
Let me remind you again: YOU are WORTH loving.
Prayer: In Your creation You fashioned us into Your image, Creating God. Help us to see our beauty from within and to daily challenge ourselves to be confident in who we are and to glorify You with our lives. Amen.