As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. -1 Peter 2:4-5
I was deeply encouraged by this verse this morning as I talked with a friend. He shared this with me when I shared how inadequate I felt in so many areas of my life. From work, to small groups, to family, to relationships. How I felt as if I was not good enough for the things I deeply desired to do and be apart of. His words were deep, powerful and kinda weird. My friend called me a stone. Ha, what??? I needed a little more explanation on this.
I used to think that it was sissy or overly emotional to discuss the love that God has for me. I didn’t want to think of myself as a coddled little child. For I am MAN OF GOD!! Not a pansy little baby. I am a Warrior. Ready to fight the battles, full steam ahead. But in fact, I was not ready for them. I was not aware of who I was and whose I was. I had yet to sit in and accept who God says I am and what He has to say about me. Every time I came to a passage of His love for me I would gloss over and avoid them. I wanted to get to the meat, I wanted to get to the directives, the commands, how I could prove to God and others that I am worthy. I was doing things backwards. For some perverted way I mistakenly thought that if I just did enough good things, then God would love me. That He would approve of me. I missed out on the fact that He has already approved of me just the way I am. He already loves me and accepts me. But I didn’t want to hear it, because I wasn’t worthy enough to deserve that kind of love. And so I had a very distorted view of what love was. I couldn’t accept grace. Love without grace isn’t love at all!
It is so easy for me to doubt myself. To doubt the identity that God places in me. To doubt my value in His sight. I beat myself up for not meeting the expectations that others put on me, or the ones that God puts on me. However, in reality, if I were to step back for a moment I would realize that these expectations are not coming from others or God, but from myself. I place such a high standard that I can’t live up to it and end up sulking in a defeated state.
BUT, what does God say about me? What does He say about you?
Jesus as the Living Stone was rejected by men, by the world, because of their definition of what is good, by their definition of what is successful. Jesus was let down, abandoned, pushed aside, and betrayed by those closest to him. It could be very easy for him to believe that he was no good. That he was worthless. But he had a different perspective. He knew why he was there. In the sight of God, the only one that matters, He was chosen and precious! In the same way as we come to Him, we are called living stones. We have value and purpose. We are wanted. We are loved and adored by the Almighty One!
Peter goes on to share with us:
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. -1 Peter 2:9
We are chosen, called his own possession. But for what purpose? To sit there in all the blessings that he has given us? Are we to keep them all for ourselves? No, out of the overflow of what God has done for us and who He calls us, we are to share with those around us. We are called to proclaim the excellencies of him!
So as I look and think on all the wonderful things God has blessed me with. All the things I an unworthy of. He calls me forward to proclaim Him to the world. He has called me and chosen me to share Him with those around me. God wants others to know Him. Let us not hold back one of the greatest ways that God loves to show his glory to others…through you and me!
