I know you sometimes feel ordinary but you’re not.
You are one of a kind ~ a unique and beautiful blend of all God wants you to be.
You are God’s prized possession, a valued treasure of great worth.
You may feel invisible…like you are just one of millions of others.
But God sees you.
And when God sees you, He sees someone He loves.
In Isaiah 43:4, God says, “You are precious and honored in my sight …. and I love you.”
He sees someone He knows.
David said in Psalm 139:1, “You have searched me, LORD, and you know me.” God knows you, too.
Since God knows you, has a purpose for you and loves you just the way He made you, I have no doubt He wants you to feel the same way.
He’ll do whatever it takes to help you get to a place of accepting and embracing your His heart for you so you can become the woman HE created you to be!
Here is the song I feel like God chose for you this week. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch, listen and let Him tell you just how beautiful you are! {If you are reading this via email, click here to watch it since it’s not viewable thru email.}
You really are…
Beautiful
Loved
Cherished
Chosen
Treasured
Sacred
You are His!
May God’s sweet affirmations replace all those comparisons. As you identify, understand and embrace who HE created you to be, I’m praying that, like the psalmist, you’re learning to say with confidence, “Lord, You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb, I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Ps. 139:13-14)
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To celebrate God’s heart for you — my friends at DaySpring have graciously given me 5 sets of “God’s Heart For You” giveaways to share with 5 of you!! {{so excited!!}}
To enter the “God’s Heart for You” GiveAway share your answer to one or more of the questions at the end of the chapter 8. OR if you haven’t read that far yet, share your thoughts about today’s music video or blog post. Can’t want to hear from your heart :-).
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I truly enjoyed the video. I have been very quite since the first week. I have been reading all of your blogs and weekly emails. This song has really hit a spot in my heart from the first time I heard it so I had to write. This was the first time I ever saw the music video. I have very low self esteem so knowing the God has made me and loves me no matter what gives me great comfort. I just wish that I could hold on to this thought daily.
I am so thankful for this post! It was a much needed reminder of God’s love for me, just as I am. I can’t remember a time I didn’t doubt myself, how I look, how I act, who I am… But that has been changing since I have come to accept Christ as my Lord and Saviour. He has lead me down an amazing path with wisdom from amazing teachers like Renee. Thank you God for all of the reminders of how You love me. And thank you Renee for allowing Him to use you to touch our lives.
I’ve always been so insecure. I’ve never felt beautiful but I know that I’m loved by God. I recently had breast cancer and had to have a mastectomy and then I really felt bad. I was always so healthy and I exercised and watched my weight and did all the right things but God had other plans for me. At first I was devastated, it nearly crushed me. I know that God looks on the inside but my inside at times not very pretty. It is still hard when I look in the mirror but I know that I’m more than this shell of a body. I praise God that He let me live so I can have more time with my family and friends. I’m loving the book because it is helping me to face a lot of challenges in my life. I pray for all of the women who are doing this study and I want to say to them that they are beautiful.
Renee,
Thank you for reminding us all why we are so valuable — we are God’s children, God’s loves us beyond measure, and He will go to any length that we might be reconciled to Him. WOW!
It is hard for me to listen to the song, Beautiful by Mercyme, without getting very emoitional. There are two reasons for my emotional response. First, God gave me this song last April, less than a week after losing a close friend to suicide. I had known this person for over 25 years. The one thing I know about my friend with absolute certainty was that he didn’t like himself and he hard time believing that anyone else could like him either.
How did I know this about my friend? Because I suffered from the same condition. Notice that my last sentence is past-tense. I no longer doubt my value or the reason for my existence. About two years ago God brought me to a crossroads… either I accept his love and trust him fully, 100%, or I reject him. After many soul-searching sessions with God, I chose to trust him 100% and thus, by default, believe what he says in his word about his love for me. THIS HAS TRANSFORMED MY LIFE!! GOD HAS TRANSFORMED MY LIFE!!
Every man, women, and child need to hear of God’s amazing love. More importantly, He needs every one who has experienced his love to share it with those around us. Words are cheap but actions tell the truth of where someone’s heart lies.
I have experienced that deep, dark place of self-loathing. I know from personal experience that the only thing that can reach someone in that dark place is God’s love. Who will be God’s mouth to speak his truths? Who will be His arms to hug and hold those who cannot love themselves? These are the questions that fuel me. This, in short (hee hee) is what the song by Mercyme is all about.
Hi Andi~
I simply want to say that I am so sorry to hear about your friend.
Your story is similar to mine. Your feelings are not unlike mine.
To have at one time lived in complete darkness, only to then come out into the Sonlight…what an amazing transformation that can take place, correct?
My prayer is that both of us will be the hands and feet of Jesus for others in need.
Bless you today. Judi.
I don’t have the book yet, however I do want it. As for this music video it is beautiful. One of the many lies the devil tells us women is how we are ugly, inadequate, full of flaws. So when u hear that you are beautiful it’s hard to believe. I love the part that says you are you are chosen you are his. You’re beautiful. If we could just grasp this cocept. There would be alot of healing. Thank you.
So glad I came out to the blog today as it was so on point with something that I’ve been struggling with but have questioned myself as to why…I know some of the reasons how I got caught into the comparison trap, but why, but this statement stood out the most from the blog: “May God’s sweet affirmations replace all those comparisons.”
I wrote this in my journal today and after reading your blog just now, I see how it speaks to my heart. My journal entry was:
“Why do we compare, instead of being ourselves?” Why do we allow the most insignificant things in life pertaining to another person’s character, ability, looks, voice, style, gift, relationship, etc affect us so much? Why do we want to look, sound, have, or be like any other person? When you really take the time out to stop and think how menial and insignificant it is to who you are, it really doesn’t make sense. Comparison/competition feeds into jealousy, envy or losing your authentic self which is not a good thing.
We compare another woman’s hair, eyes, skin, smile, voice, size, personality, feet, clothes, house, car, shoes, relationship, family, friends, job, status and the list goes on and on and on. My question is this. What is the one thing about yourself that is unique? Better yet, of the things that we compare ourselves that others have (as listed above), ask yourself if you have something. Do you have hair, do you have eyes, clothes, a place to live, etc…it’s a yes or no question, not yes but I don’t look like this person or yes but I don’t have the smile she has….uuuuhhmmm, of coarse not…You are unique…but you can at least answer to the question that you have a smile, so smile. Even if you can say yes to one thing, you’re blessed. So in essence, look at what you have, not what you don’t and especially stop looking at what someone else has. It’s okay to admire or acknowledge, but move on…don’t compare. Be thankful for all things big or small. Be yourself and fin one thing about you that you like. Stay focused.”
Now adding God’s affirmations to my life and focusing on them everyday, I know can and will heal me of the comparison trap. Most of the time, well in my life, I didn’t get the affirmations I needed as a young person which made me always look at someone else’s life and say I wasn’t good enough…but ENOUGH IS ENOUGH already. God’s affirmations in my life are enough.
I love the words of this song and loved the material of this chapter. It was fun to review the material and to do the spitiual gift inventory in my mini retreat. It was a real encouragement to see that God is using me and the gifts that He has given me. The photo of the potter with the clay was a beautiful picture for me. Thanks to all who share.
Oh my gosh! This post is for me!! I was going through the worst (was it?) time in my life around January 2011. I wanted to end my life. I thought there was no hope. My son’s diagnosis and subsequent treatment for cancer gave me the push to recall some horrendous childhood sexual abuse. I thought nobody could tolerate or love me.
My son’s nurse practitioner was an avid Christian and she sent me the link to this song. It changed me. It made me feel that inside I WAS beautiful and truly more than my past.
The day I heard that song made me want to persevere and go on. There have been many rough times but then I put my earphones in my ears and remember….
I will answer my chapter 8 questions tomorrow. Today I want to revel in the fact that I am beautiful (I printed the lyrics and kept them with me).
You, no matter what, are beautiful to God and that is all that matters!
Thank you to all!
Wendy
I love the song. Thanks for sharing it and all the words of wisdom. I’m struggling with this chapter. We did a personality study in a Sunday School Teaching Workshop and I’m a problem solver, number crunching person who also loves to interact with my friends. I need to take a day to myself (away from kids and work) and pray about what “I” like to do. I like to volunteer and I get asked to do the treasurer tasks. I don’t mind doing it since it comes easy for me, I just have not figured out what my “passion” is.
I do want to feel beautiful and loved and confident. This song and this chapter especially is showing me that God has created me for a purpose. Since my husband died I feel at a loss as to what I am supposed to be doing with my life but from this study I am learning that God has a plan and he always has and I need to trust him with my life. I have always used my gift with children in service but I feel God has other assignments for me and I am anxious to discover what they are. Thank you for offering this study at a time when I was needing to grow in God confidence.
I feel warm when I know you matter and love me, Jesus and Renee. I am also glad to learn the positive meaning of this word ‘matter’ today. I am encouraged to write a feedback and response here by seeing God’s giving you the gift of giving, Renee. Thank you for your lovely photo and ‘Give Away’ action. Praise the LORD’s awesome restoration within you and through you!
This song is one of my favorites!!
This past year has been by far one of the hardest years in my life.
I was in an abusive relationship…and about a year ago this song came on and I could just hear God speaking to me through this song. All the times I heard I wasnt good enough or pretty enough God replace it with YOU ARE BEAUTIFULL. I realized that day how God sees me!! He let me now that, the situation I was in was not good for me, He let me know I was meant for something way more. That day I started to feel how much God values me and sees me. I belive HIm and I am glad He has saved my life in more than one way.
That song/video was EXACTLY what I needed to hear. Now I need to listen to it every, every, EVERY day till it sinks in !!! Thank you Renee & Mercy Me for allowing yourselves to be used by God to minister to me / us.
It’s still so hard to believe that I’m one IN a million, not one OF a million (or billion!) and that God actually cares about me personally. I’m still trying to wrap my brain around that one. I know that it’s true in my head, God has given me plenty of examples of his love, but I don’t think it’s made it all the way to my heart yet.
I have listened that song countless times but never really “heard” it until now. Thank you for that. I so needed to hear that blessing.
Hi everyone,
I’m behind on my studies but I do read the postings Renee. I’m leading a women’s bible study at my church about our wilderness and how we must trust god with everything.
The video was perfect. When Satan tries to fill our head with lies and doubt, we need to remember god loves us, We’re beautiful!
I know that the Lord directed me to the blog and to hear this song. I needed this so much tonight. These are words that I have never heard spoken to me, but tonight through this song, I feel loved. Thank You for this amazing bible study.
I absolutely love this song. Whenever I feel down or alone, this song helps to remind me that I am that perfect creation; loved and cared for by our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, there are many of these times, so seeing the words on “paper” really help to remind me of these truths. I really am…
Beautiful
Loved
Cherished
Chosen
Treasured
Sacred
You are His!
i LOVE this song and the video! I love the thought that I’m beautiful, treasured and sacred to Jesus, enough to die for me! I love the pictures where He is hugging the girls! Beautiful thoughts. I haven’t quite got to the questions from chapter 8 yet, but I do thank you for sharing this video!
Love, love, love this video! What a beautiful message! So glad to be on here! Love you all on here who are on this journey with me! God Bless you all!