Hidden Treasure

“Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace, with which He has blessed us in the Beloved.” Ephesians 1:4-6

Each and every one of us was born with a desire and need to be accepted. When we were kids, it would be mortifying to be picked last in kick ball or dodge ball. As we grew into adolescence, we wanted to be in the “In Crowd.” This led most of us to wear certain clothes and act certain ways just to fit in. This need even follows us into adulthood, where many spend their lives trying to “Keep up with the Joneses.” The bottom line is, God created us with a need to be accepted; and if we don’t allow Him to meet that most basic need, we will spend our lives searching for the unconditional love and acceptance that only He truly gives.

The best marriage, greatest career, nicest things, and most adorable kids cannot fill the God-shaped hole in our heart. Our Creator made us, in the deepest way, for Himself. Yes, earthly relationships are good gifts and God wants us to enjoy them. But even they are not enough. Only God is enough.

Do you know what God has done for you in Christ? He chose you. He loves you. And He has adopted you if you have placed your faith in Jesus for salvation. In other words, God has fully and finally accepted you. That means we cannot do anything so bad it would make God love us less, or anything so good it would make Him love us more. Because of Jesus, God has accepted us for who we are and then He changes us into who we are meant to be.

Many years ago, the Golden Buddha was discovered in Bangkok, Thailand. For years there was this huge, ugly, concrete Buddha that sat in the middle of town. Visitors put empty cans and trash on it. To them, it was just a piece of junk. One day a Buddhist priest took the old statue to his temple. In moving it, it cracked. As the pieces began to crumble, the priest noticed something underneath the concrete shell. He gathered some helpers to pull the shell away and inside they found the world’s largest chunk of sculptured gold standing 8 feet high. What many people thought for years was worthless junk was solid gold.

Think about it. For years, there was this unbelievable mass of gold sitting right in the middle of the city, but nobody knew it, because they judged that statue by what was on the outside, not what was on the inside. When you look into a mirror, you will never see yourself the way God sees you. You are so valuable that God sent Jesus to die for your sins, so that you can spend eternity with Him.

God, thank You for accepting me fully and finally in Jesus.  I pray that you would help me to try to see myself the way you see me, as forgiven, loved, accepted, chosen, and cherished. And as I do, help me to replace the lies of the enemy with your truth of what you say about me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.