Driving home the other day, I started singing along to the radio. It only took a brief rendition of the chorus and I quickly told myself to shut up. Lousy singer. What a loser!
We use a lot of standards to measure our value. Good singer. Good looking. Good at math. Good at music/art/drama ... you name it. So when we fail to measure up on whatever it is, we feel bad about ourselves. You know ... "poor self-esteem." Now, one side will be happy to tell you that we shouldn't say those bad things about ourselves. We should say nice things. But I think there is some truth to it. And truth is a good thing.
We use a lot of standards to measure our value, but too many times they are invalid standards. "I'm not a good singer." Yeah, okay, so? "I'm a lousy musician." And? "I'm no good at English grammar." So? "I'm not skinny enough/smart enough/rich enough." Totally missing the point. There is a segment of our society that defines themselves by the gender to whom they're sexually attracted. Others define themselves by their talents, skills, jobs, or other factors. Invalid standards. We measure ourselves by too many things that are not significant in the final analysis.
What is significant? In the final analysis, real value is applied, not acquired. In the final analysis, it's not what I can accomplish, but what God thinks of me. What it really comes down to is am I known by God (Matt. 7:21-23; Gal. 4:9). What it comes down to is the value that God places in me apart from anything I can or can't do.
Suddenly, my excellent or lousy singing voice, my good or crummy looks, my skills or lack thereof are not nearly as important as knowing God, or rather, being known by Him.
1 comment:
Suddenly, my excellent or lousy singing voice, my good or crummy looks, my skills or lack thereof are not nearly as important as knowing God, or rather, being known by Him.
Well said. Sounds like our singing abilities are similar.
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