A Masterpiece

 

June 28, 2019

Have you ever sat down, looked at yourself in a mirror, and remembered who created you? Have you ever asked the Lord what He has to say about yourself, or even thanking Him of how He made you special in His eyes? Or What you mean to Him?

Today we did this individually and intentionally acknowledging who our creator God is.

We spent a few hours this morning, in split gender groups. As the men from our squad spent their time golfing and fellowship, we ladies spent the morning hours pampering ourselves.

On the World Race we sometimes can get so busy with ministry and travel. Sometimes we don’t have the extra money or space in our bags to carry our beauty materials. Some girls do, but I for sure have very little. Over time we get used to not taking showers every 24 hours, not caring about having our toenails painted or wearing mascara for the day. We get comfortable with those we live with and over time our confidence grows in our outward appearance. There’s beauty when we find the freedom of being confident in our own skin. It is beauty when we wake up and know that the Lord has created us, and we don’t need to change a thing about ourselves.

But today, our squad leader chose to use the morning hours to gather the 28 ladies together and make us feel like ourselves again. She created an atmosphere where we could just be ladies, to have fun, and to recognize the unique masterpiece that Lord has created as, all the while playing worship music in the background.

We rotated around different beauty stations where the beauty supplies were set up. We painted each other’s nails, gave massages, used face masks, curled, straightened, and braided hair. It was so fun to be gathered together with just us ladies and our squad coach. We spent time fellowshipping and enjoyed pampering each other.

The most important and significant station was the mirror reflection. As we sat for several moments looking at our own face, we used the time and space to invite the Lord. We read psalm 139 to ourselves, prayed and then spoke the truths that the Lord says about us out loud while glancing at our face in the mirror. We used the time to claim that we are a child of God, a daughter of the most high and that we are his masterpiece, created and chosen to be loved by Him.

“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.

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!

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Psalm 139:14-18; 23-24

How incredible it is that the Lord knew us before we were born. He knew every detail of our hair, skin, and physical feature even before we were created. It’s amazing how unique every person on this planet is made, even so myself. Every freckle, eyelash and nose hairs. Haha.

Then I read the last part of this psalm. It is a prayer asking the Lord to point out anything in my heart that may offend Him. Anytime I’ve read this verse, I have acknowledged it separately without the entire psalm. Usually, I would pray that the Lord would point out any motives in my heart that are not of God. But, the Lord pointed out today that along with thanking Him of how He has created me, the negative thoughts about my body image could be offensive to Him. So instead of complaining about not liking a specific physical feature about myself or wishing my body image was different, there’s the option of glorifying the Lord for He has created me this way.

I know that there is power in being grateful in prayers. Loving ourselves for who we are and even what we look like is a breakthrough to have confidence in ourselves. Let’s be more grateful, let’s ask God what He thinks about us. I want you to try and ask God. What does He say about you?

Anytime you have negative thoughts about your outward appearance, remember that it was the Lord that created you. And He wants to reveal His heart and His truth to you. The Lord really speaks to us when we sit and listen to what He has to say. When you try this technique of worship, I know for sure the Lord will reveal how loved you are and how you were made to be His daughter/ son.  You are His masterpiece.

“And yet, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.”

Isaiah 64:8