You Matter
This is going to be a shorter article, but one that I hope is meaningful.
The first time that God is mentioned in the Bible, He is mentioned as the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). The implications of this are that God is all-powerful and all-knowing (given that the universe He has created contains all of our knowledge and then some) and that His authority is at the core of the universe’s structural integrity (see Colossians 1:17).
The first time that mankind is mentioned in the Bible, we are mentioned as the only parts of God’s creation that bear His image and have dominion over the rest of what He has made (Genesis 1:26-27). The implications of this are that God, from His stance of omnipotence and omniscience, chose to create us as the most significant beings within His universe, and has delegated the authority – and the responsibility – of those who are His image-bearers to every member of the human race. God’s evaluation of His creation as “very good” after humanity’s introduction makes the inherent value of this decision clear (Genesis 1:31).
The very first thing that the Bible wants you to know about yourself is simply this: You matter, and you matter a great deal.
When others, or even your own doubts, attempt to convince you that you are not important or worthy of love and respect, remember this: The God of the universe, whose power and knowledge are infinite and whose authority governs all things, has told you before anything else that you mean the world to Him.
When you are tempted to sin in ways that are rooted in forgetfulness or lack of trust in your own intrinsic value or the value of others, remember this: The God of the universe, whose power and knowledge are infinite and whose authority governs all things, has told you before anything else that you mean the world to Him.
When you are not sure that you can achieve the calling of Christ, or that you will ever be good enough to earn His calling, remember this: The God of the universe, whose power and knowledge are infinite and whose authority governs all things, has told you before anything else that you mean the world to Him.
Before you even knew what God’s purpose was for you, He had already created you as His image-bearer (Jeremiah 1:5), and His Son had already died because of His love for you (John 3:16-17). Between those two events, which precede and supersede your control, He has given you an evaluation that is above all others and has provided you with everything you need to succeed (2 Peter 1:3).
You matter, and you matter a great deal. Or, to put it another way – God loves you very, very much.
“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” ~ 2 Corinthians 9:15
AUTHOR: Luke Tatum
