For some time now, Tony Lemay has been having a small group bible study at his house. Soon, they will begin a new study based on Willard Tate’s book entitled, Learning to Love. Tony was generous enough to give me a copy of the book and so I started looking through it. I gravitated towards chapter 6, which is called Talking Your Way into Feeling Loved. The following quote stimulated me into writing this article, “If our thoughts – what we call self-talk – were brought out in the open and looked at clearly, most of us would be disgusted.” Some once said, “What God says about you is what matters, then what others may think of you,” and that includes you. So often, we simply don’t talk well about ourselves. So, what does God say about us as His church…about you as a member of it?
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own
special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called
you out of darkness into His marvelous light…
1st Peter 2:9
I had done a lesson on this text and on this subject some time ago. I sought to find it, hoping to ease the organization of this lesson, but I could not. Maybe God wants me to invest some time into this matter. And so, I begin with three simple words that stopped me in my tracks, “But you are…” Okay, who are you? When you talk to yourself, and I know you do, who are you? The verse that many of us can quote quickly comes to mind, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…” (Psalm 139:14). We know it, but do we believe it? Or are they merely words uttered to try and ease the pain of what we really think. What we know about ourselves is critical to the proclamation of the gospel, for it is our new identity in Christ that compels us to “proclaim the praises of Him who called” us…you.
So, what are you? Who are you? Stupid, dumb, ugly, fat, slow, weird, not worthy, afraid, and the list can go on…right. Although it shouldn’t be, the loudest voice in our lives is often our own. What we need to do is start repeating those things God says we are; that is, CHOSEN, ROYAL, HOLY, SPECIAL! Being His people, this is who we are now, in spite of our imperfections. You see, it is not what we do that makes us who we are; instead, it is what He has done. And what He did was give all of Himself so we could be all of who He wants us to be. Praise be to God.
Dennis
