“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” (Psalm 139:14)
David wrote this Psalm knowing that God knew him before he was even formed in his mother’s womb and already cared about his well-being. We have been created in the image of our heavenly Father and are precious in His sight. This makes us valuable not only to our Creator, but to ourselves and to those around us.
I have been a counsellor/client advocate for over 13 years at the Pregnancy Care Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. I have counselled many young people over the years, and one thing I have found, is that those who have gotten themselves into trouble most often do not realize or appreciate how valuable they really are. As I do speak to more young ladies than young men, one common thread that comes up is a lack of self-esteem and self-worth. Many have come from broken homes and difficult circumstances.
The culture we live in has not helped. There is a lot of peer pressure in the youth culture to go along with whatever seems to be the popular thing. Having good morals is scoffed at and ridiculed. And yet, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God has so much more in mind for us than just going along with the flow. This is why God has set boundaries for us in His word. God wants to keep us safe so that we don’t look back with regret on poor decisions we have made.
Many times, I have tried to impress on my clients how valuable they are and that they deserve to be respected and cherished. No one is ever supposed to be manipulated or taken advantage of. So many young people feel pressured into doing things they don’t really want to do. Girls and guys ought to look out for each other. They should defend each other’s honor and show respect to one another.
God wants us to grow and mature to fulfil the special purpose He has for our lives. There is a story of an old violin that was supposed to be auctioned off. It was maybe worth just a couple of dollars but then something amazing happened. An old man got up, dusted off the violin and started to play. The music coming from that violin was beautiful, leaving hardly a dry eye in the room. Needless to say, this violin sold for thousands of dollars. The touch of a master’s hand made all the difference. This is how each one of us can be used by God, no matter our circumstances. He loves us unconditionally, He forgives, He cares and guides us. God gave His Son so we could glorify Him through our lives. You are not insignificant. You are not useless. You are loved. Believe it!
Elizabeth Seida
Edmonton, Alberta
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