Do You Matter?

some thoughts…

How many have felt overlooked, left behind, or ignored? My suspicion is that this is a common human emotion we all feel from time to time. Emotions are strong forces to be reckoned with and can be valuable and affirming in good instances and be totally deceiving in other instances. Whatever instance they may come, they are feelings none the less and need to be evaluated and measure against what is the truth.

I’ve come to learn that tears may be a sign of deep feelings, but not necessarily the truth about it all. Some of our deepest feelings may be reactions to our own make-up of unfounded fears and apprehensions. Feelings may lead our actions in thought and deed and totally miss the mark. Pride will also play a part when we “feel” someone may be thinking ill of us or question our motives. It is difficult to sift through it all and we may need an outside mind to help us pull the pieces together.

Feelings can also warn us of danger and eminent harm and the sensing of what is not right about an event or word. Feelings in this situation are there to help protect us. The descript word “feeling” in this instance may be better named “discernment”. We have to be open, non reactionary and mature enough to know the difference which comes with time, experience, learning, and surrendering our own ideas.

Our own ideas, is that what we want, can they always be trusted? We shall look into the “matter” no pun intended, or maybe it does make sense that what I really want to say is that you and I do matter. It is comforting to know there is a measuring stick to evaluate what is true, what is true about the world, what is true about us and people in general.

I live my life from a biblical world view and the scriptures are my template.  I strive to “listen and do”, a statement I reiterated and reminded my children as they grew.  Don’t be just a hearer of the word, but a doer as well. The Bible has a lot to say about human behavior, what is true about our hearts and what is in them. The scriptures talk a lot about living our daily lives and looking to and seeing hope in our futures, which is our hope in His future for us.

Psalm 139 talks about how we are wonderfully and fearfully made, I’m sure you have heard those words before. In the same Psalm it says He was there watching as we were coming together, as He was putting us together in our mother’s womb. How awesome is that, like an artist painting a picture, He adds color, shading, blends it all, and stands back to see how His masterpiece is coming together. Do you think you matter? I’d say you are pretty special and of course none of us are prints, we are all the original deal.

You were created for and by God. Wow, what a revolutionary and life giving and life changing thought. In the book of Ephesians (a book in the New Testament of the Bible) it says God has His good works ready for us to deliver on. Awesome! We are part of the plans of God; we get to work together with the creator of the universe. Do you matter? Take the time to read all of Ephesians 2, it is wonderful.

Here is the part that talks about how He has created us to do His good works.

⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Ephesians 2: 8-10 New Living Translation

When we come to God and say oh my, I’m wrong, I’ve blown it, ask Him to forgive us and set us on a new path, He does just that. We knowingly and miraculously become part of His team. God helps us discover our gifts and talents “and then”, we learn and long to, with His help, “do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Do you matter? Yes!

Dawn Ginese

Below is a young child’s version of Psalm 139

Psalm 139 paraphrased:

1. Lord you know all about me.

2. You know when I sit and when I wake-up, You know my thoughts.

3. You know when I go places and when I go to sleep. You know what I do every day.

4. Before I speak, You know what I’m going to say.

5. Your hands care for me.

6. It is hard to understand how you know me so well.

7. I can’t run away from You. I can’t hide from you.

8. Wherever I go You are there.

9-10. If I try to fly like a bird or swim like a fish, Your hands lead me and Your hands hold me.

11-12.When I’m afraid of the dark, the black night is like daytime to You and You are not afraid.

13. You made and formed every little part of me. You put me together in my mom’s tummy.

14. I thank You, because you made me. What You do is wonderful.

15. You watched as You made me.

16. You saw me before my body was complete. Everything about me was planned in Your book before I was born.

17. You have so many thoughts about me, I can’t count them all.

18. If I were to count all Your thoughts about me, they would be more that the grains of sand. When I wake up I am still with You.

Psalm 139: 1-18 TSN version

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