Fun fact:  I have four (adult) children.

They are all different. Like really different.  Before I had kids, I had no idea that each one would be so very different from the other.  I mean, they were all parented by the same two people, with similar experiences and values.  The same household rules and expectations.   But as they grew, it became apparent, in a short amount of time, that each was unique and special. 

With their differences, I realized that I needed to see each one for who they were, individually.  In order for me to encourage their strengths and support their weaknesses, I had to view each one individually, while still maintaining the family unit.  There’s some tricky balancing going on there!  Each one had the same family rules, but each one responded to those rules differently.  Therefore, each one needed a slightly different level of parental involvement. 

Just like my children, each one of us is special and different from the other. 

I love this about God’s creation!  No two of anything, are exactly the same!  There are billions of human beings on the earth today (7.753 billion to be exact).  And no two individuals have the same fingerprints, DNA sequence or face.  We see similar things in nature.  There are millions of trees, but no two leaves are identical.  Also consider snowflakes!  Their patterns are special.  They look very similar at first glance, but when you look closer, you will find that the differences are extravagant!  Each one is ornate and wildly individual.

The word special as an adjective, is defined this way; “better, greater, or otherwise different from what is usual.”  As a noun, it’s defined this way;” of high value, or beloved” and “designed for a particular occasion or purpose.”  I like both of those definitions, especially as they relate to people!

God sees each person that He created as special.  Not “participation ribbon” special but patterned wildly different and beautifully diverse from every other one!  In Ephesians 2:10 the Apostle Paul writes “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God’s masterpiece, His work of art, His best and most glorious creation!  If you’re like me, you are having a hard time swallowing that truth about yourself right now.  With so many billions of people on the earth, how could I possibly be God’s masterpiece?

It is important to remember that our human, finite minds, do not work the same way that our Creator’s does.   

Artists work tirelessly in hopes to create one piece of art in their life, that is far and exceedingly above the rest.  The one that is more beautiful and more special than all the others that they have ever created.  But God has created billions of people so far, and His word says that each one is His masterpiece! Each one is special in His sight.  I don’t fully understand it, but I am not about to argue with scripture either!    We just have to believe it!

It is God who created us in our mother’s womb.  He knows every detail about us!  In Psalm 139:13-16 David writes, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born.  Every day of my life was recorded in your book.  Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.”  Wow.  It doesn’t get any more special than that, to be handcrafted by The Master.  Cell by cell, eyelash by eyelash. 

God Himself said that humanity was His best work when He declared it very good in Genesis 1:31 “Then God looked over all He had made, and He saw that it was very good!”  On all the other days of creation, when God had finished, He said that what He has created was good.  But on day 6, when He designed the human race, He referred to it as very good. That, sister, is you and me!

It is clear that we are special to God.  But we are also precious to Him.  I know what you’re thinking. Those two words mean the same thing.  We often use them interchangeably, but I assure you, they do not mean the same thing!

Special refers to things that are unique, individualized, different from the rest. Precious refers to being of high value or, in particular, beloved. 

God paid a high price for you and me to be redeemed.  He gave His one and only Son to be our Redeemer. Jesus came to take our place and pay for all the sins that you and I have ever or will yet commit. The most quoted and foundational verse in the entire Bible is John 3:16. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”  You and I needed a way to have a relationship with God and experience Heaven. When Jesus came to earth, He willingly gave His life for ours. Jesus paid a very high price for you and me, and this makes us precious. 

My children are special because of their individualism, but they are precious because of their worth.  Nothing on earth will ever be as precious to a mother as her children!  (That is, until she has grandchildren!)  Those that are mothers, sacrifice their bodies to have children.  Our bodies stretch and grow and change considerably when we bear children.  And except for the stretch marks, most of us wouldn’t trade a thing!  We lovingly gave up a part of ourselves to give life to them.  Each line and perceived flaw we now see on ourselves, is just a reminder of the precious life we held inside. A testament to the masterpiece we created.

So, when I say that God sees you as precious, it is the same emotion as held by mothers.  The word precious implies a person’s feelings in terms of sentimental and emotional value, not monetary value.   Sentimental and sacrificial value.

Psalm 139:17-18 goes on to say,” How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, you are still with me!”  The Psalmist is saying here that God has so many precious thoughts about us, that the amount of them is greater than the number of grains of sand.  This is astounding!  This means that you and I are on God’s mind continually.  And they are precious thoughts!  Sometimes we imagine that God must be continually displeased with us because we are often displeased with ourselves.  But scripture records that God thinks loving and precious thoughts about us constantly!

As a mom, I think about my children often.  Before I fall asleep, I pray for them.  And when they are far away or struggling, I pray for them.  They are never far from my heart and my mind.  I believe that in the same way that a mother loves and thinks about her children, God loves and thinks about us.  Only with greater intensity and frequency than we can even imagine!  Just as David is blown away by the vast and mighty love of God towards him, you and I would be wise to dwell on that same love for ourselves.  Let it soak down deep.

People and situations can make us question whether we are loved and cherished by others.  However, rest assured that you are loved and cherished by God. Know that He sees you as special, different than all the rest.  Not just a “number” or part of the mass of people.  But He sees YOU.  And when He does, He considers you precious.  He holds you close to His heart, and He thinks loving and precious thoughts toward you!

I don’t know about you, but I am going to rest easier tonight, believing firmly that I am special and precious to God. That I am His masterpiece!

If you are keeping a list in your notebook, believing that you are who God says you are, you can add precious and special to the list.  Maybe consider writing some scriptures next to each descriptor for reference!

Here’s what we have looked at so far: God says we are loved, accepted, a new creation, forgiven, chosen, precious ans special! Two more blog posts will finish out this series. I hope you are enjoying it, and that you will share the blog with a friend! I love comments, texts or emails! Let me know what you think so far! (You can email me at pursuingpurpose724.com).

Purposefully

Shelli