You Matter to God

When we talk about God, it is important to realize that we are not talking about some idea of our own making. We are talking about the God who created roaring seas of wonder, covered the mountaintops with swirling snow, and filled the world with beautiful children bursting with hope and joy.

God Makes Himself Known to Us

God is real. He has made Himself known to us through three specific ways—first, through the world He has created. The God who made it all and is intimately engaged in every aspect of His creation is also intimately engaged with you. God sees you—you are not invisible to Him!

The second way God has made Himself known to us is through the Bible, where we see the great story of God, from creation to the end of time. In that Story, we see and we learn that God has a plan for the world and for us. God is in the process of making everything new again, of restoring what has been lost. God will rid the garden of weeds and make all things right and beautiful again. God’s word to us in the Bible is how we know His love and how we can experience His greatest revelation to us—His Son, Jesus. Jesus came into the world to reveal God’s love to us and to provide the means through which we can live into that love. Jesus is the very embodiment of our love language, for in Him and through Him we can experience a depth of love not possible through any other means.

“God sees you—you are not invisible to Him!”

Consider the words of Jesus and how they speak the love language of acts of service: “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith” (Matthew 6:30)! Solomon was a fabulously wealthy king of ancient times. Jesus was addressing many people who did not feel very important and who did not have very much. He was giving them hope.

Jesus Cares for Us

Even without your “labor or spinning” (like a spinning wheel making clothes), you have value to God. You are seen, known, and cared for. Whatever your work is, you may think it doesn’t mean much in the world. You may think you only have significance if you’re accomplishing something, if you’re out there with that big bucket, pulling weeds and doing important things. But Jesus’ words here demonstrate God’s deep love and care for you. He “dresses” us in beauty like a field of wildflowers. Have you ever been physically “dressed in beauty”? Perhaps it was for a special occasion like a graduation or wedding, a day of honor or celebration. Perhaps it was a day for pictures or partying. Getting dressed in beauty is festive and special. As we live into a relationship of love with God, He sees us and celebrates us with honor as He clothes us with a beauty that is greater than a field of weed-free wildflowers.

God wants you to feel seen by experiencing His love. He wants you to find your greatest sense of purpose and accomplishment not through working hard but by living a life of love. God has a bigger picture in mind than just righting wrongs. He is at work to clothe us—and the rest of the world—in beauty. This bigger picture can come true in your life and through your actions when love and righteousness come together.

Have You Decided to Believe God Loves You?

Now, some of you may be able to point to a clear moment in your life when you experienced God’s love. You have made a decision to believe that God has clothed you in righteousness. Perhaps you would already consider yourself a follower of Jesus, a believer in God, a person who has been clothed in beauty, but you don’t feel beautiful these days. Perhaps there is a cloud hanging over you, a darkness that prevents you from living into the joy and purpose of God’s love. There are many reasons why this happens to us over time. Often, little by little, we walk away from God’s love and toward the more immediate things that get us through the day. Sometimes these things are relationships that tear us down, the quick fix of physical pleasures, addictions, habits, or simply giving up on life altogether. We all have times in our lives when it is easier to take the path of pleasure rather than the hard work of love.

For many people who have already decided to live in God’s love, we find ourselves from time to time needing a fresh start. Some people call this a moment of “rededication,” a moment of decision when we recognize that we’ve walked away from love and admit our need to re-experience God’s presence and power in our lives. If that is you, consider simply saying these words out loud to God right now:

“God, I want to live in Your love. Forgive me for the ways I’ve walked away from a life of love. Please come back to the center of my life. Fill me with Your joy and set me free from the things that are preventing me from knowing You.”