Free PDF eBook containing all of Year 4
Print PDF of this lesson
God knows everything there is to know about us. He created us, and He has knowledge of everything on the inside of us as well as on the outside. As the Hebrew writer said, “No creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Hb. 4:13).
While God’s all-seeing eye may be a somewhat fearful thought, it also should be comforting and encouraging. God knows who we really are — there is no chance He will misunderstand us. Unlike even our closest friends, who can know us only imperfectly, God knows everything He needs to know to think of us exactly as we should be thought of. What God sees is the real truth about us, with all the facts taken into consideration.
We ought to want to see ourselves in this way — it is good to see ourselves as God sees us. When we see what God sees, we will see some things that need to be changed, of course. Making these changes may require some pain and difficulty. But even with the imperfections, what God sees about us is that we are worth saving.
Though we have fallen into sin, God knows that He created us in His love and He gave His only begotten Son to save us. He sees us as having worth and value. When we see ourselves as being valuable to God, we will think and live differently. We will lift our vision upward to the wonderful things God wants to do with us, and we will be grateful for the honor God has bestowed upon us in His Son, Jesus Christ.
In Christ, there are no inferior people. All have equal need of God’s grace, and all who have been reconciled to Him have been reconciled in the same way: by His grace. Consequently, all are immensely valuable to God Himself. “For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith . . . And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal. 3:26,29). Knowing this surely ought to make a difference in our view of ourselves. As we engage in our various activities throughout this week, it will encourage us to remember that we are privileged to be “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession” (1 Pt. 2:9). The fact is, we are special to God — so we need to live like the special people we are!
Monday: Genesis 1:26,27
Key Idea: Having been made in God’s image, we have inherent worth and value.
Questions for Family Growth: What are some of the things that might be involved in the statement that we are created “in God’s image”? In terms of our value and worth, how does being created in God’s image make us different from all other creatures? Consider passages like Mt. 6:26.
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 19:9.
Tuesday: 1 Peter 2:9
Key Idea: As Christians, we have a very special worth to God.
Questions for Family Growth: How should being a part of God’s own special people affect our sense of personal worth? According to Ac. 20:28, what price did God pay for us to have this special relationship with Him?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 19:10.
Wednesday: 1 Samuel 16:7
Key Idea: God’s estimate of us takes into account what He see in our hearts.
Questions for Family Growth: What is the difference between seeing someone’s outward appearance and seeing them as God sees them? Knowing this should make a difference in our judgments of other people, obviously, but what difference should it make in the way we see ourselves?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 19:11.
Thursday: Jeremiah 9:23,24
Key Idea: The Christian’s self-image is based on his relationship with God, not on worldly values.
Questions for Family Growth: What are some of the things we are not to “glory” (NKJV) in? If not these things, what then should we glory in? What are some practical advantages of basing our self-worth on spiritual realities rather than carnal or worldly ones?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 19:12.
Friday: Romans 12:3
Key Idea: The Christian is able to have a healthy, realistic view of himself.
Questions for Family Growth: What does it mean to think “with sober judgment” about ourselves? What are the dangers of thinking too highly of ourselves? What about thinking too lowly? What is the answer, from a godly perspective, to the problem of low self-esteem?
Wisdom for the Day: Proverbs 19:13.
Gary Henry — WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com
