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Key verse: Psalm 139:14 "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well."
Biblical truth: I am created by God in His image and through His workmanship. All the God creates is good and I know that God has designed a purpose for me and a specific way that He wants to use me to honor His name and His work.
As a part of the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit has given each member a specific function that only they can do. It is part of the uniqueness that God has designed into each person. The body functions properly only when all of its members are together and working together in their role. If a person thinks they are insignificant in the body (church) they need only read I Corinthians 12:18-24 to see that God has given more honor to the seemingly small and feeble members of the body.
Psalm 139:13-17
The basic life principle is to know that I am His creation and I should believe that what He does is good. Certain things about me are predestined by God and not within my power to change. I must accept them as the will of God for my life. Body structure, nationality, abilities, gender, birth order, age that I live in, parents and relatives, and talents (Matthew 6:27). He knows me and He leads me (Romans 8:28-29) Things that I must learn to accept are;
a. My past – That cannot be changed and is forever a part of history. I must recognize that God was at work in so many things and ways that may not be readily apparent. I must trust Him.
b. My present – This is the only moment that I can live in and the only opportunity to work for the Lord. I must learn to accept the things that God allows to be in my path as His will.
c. My future – Is in the hands of the Lord.
d. My weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9) – The Lord designed certain weaknesses into us not to hurt us but to glorify Him. (John 9:3)
The danger of not accepting that God made me like I am can become a great hindrance to the work of God in our lives, family and church
a. Using everything as an excuse (Mathew 25:24-25) All the things I do not want to do can be blamed on something.
b. We can become as fatalists that denounce all things as a waste of time because of some deficiency or doom.
c. We don't live gratefully nor do we recognize all the blessings that God has place in front of us.
d. We carry around bitterness and anger constantly wishing that our situation was different.
Purpose of learning this lesson
a. Make me trust God (Matthew 25:15, 1 Corinthians 12:11) and recognize that all the things He allows in my life are for my good and His glory.
b. Use all that I have to the max (Matthew 25:20-23) What I perceive as deficiencies or liabilities are actually advantages He gave me if I would merely focus on them as blessings and not as a curse.
c. Give honor and glory to God for all that He has done in my life
d. Accept my deficiencies and see them as opportunities or advantages.
e. Accept my spouse as he/she is and not live a life of hyper criticism.
f. Not make excuses, but do the work.
g. Thank God for how He formed me and His purposes for my life
h. Use everything that I have and am to help others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Personal study time and application:
Reading: It is important to understand that who you are is not an accident or a cruel twist of fate. You are a child of God created in His image and designed to bring glory to Him. The sections below are for you to examine the areas of your life that you feel are liabilities, weaknesses or things you wish you could change but cannot (things mentioned in #1 above) and make a list of the ways God can or has used them.
My past has things in it that seem like weights but that can be used by God to glorify Him. Consider some things from your past that God can use.
Consider how some things in #1 above that describe who you are now, that you may have considered liabilities or things that keep you from achieving goals can actually become advantages that God can use to glorify Himself.
How has your attitude about yourself and how God made you affected your attitude about others and your spouse?