(1) My uniqueness: I am created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-9). I am not an animal; I am unique in that I have special emotional and reasoning abilities. I have a soul; I can know God; I am special in His sight, and a special part of His Creation.

(2) My problem: I am a sinner (Romans 5:12). I was born with a sinful heart; even though I look to Christ as my only hope of salvation, that still doesn't change the fact that I am a sinner. His righteousness is counted for me, but I'm not perfect; that will only come when I get to heaven. The fact is, I have failed God and men; I do fail and in the future will fail. However, I can face the future with optimism, because Christ came to deal with my problem of sin in this life (Matthew 12:1), and He will help me to grow more like Him and overcome them (Romans 6:12-14), as I repeatedly seek His help (Philippians 1:6; 2:12,13). I must each day honestly confess my sins and seek to turn from them and be assured of His love to forgive me (1 John 1:9).

(3) My confidence: I am loved by God through Christ, Who has established peace between me and God. has died and taken my punishment, and His righteousness counts for me (Romans 5:1,8; Philippians 3:8,9; 2 Corinthians 5:21). This relationship is unchangeable; there is nothing that can separate me from His love (Romans 8:31-39). Christ has established peace between me and God, and because I know this and appreciate it, I can have His peace (John 14:27; 16:33).

(4) My privilege: I am a child of God. As His child, He accepts me with all my physical, mental, and other imperfections. He loves me as His child; though I never turn anyone elses head, He will never take His eyes off me, and I am special to Him (1 John 3:1; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

As His child, I can always count on Him to make total provision for my needs, whether spiritual (John 6:30-40), or material (Matthew 6:19-34). I may not have what others have, but for the present, I have what He wants me to have, and I will be content with His best for me for now (Philippians 4:11-13; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

As His child, my present and future are taken care of. He will protect me now and in the future (Psalm 91:1-16). He even provides an inheritance yet to be enjoyed (1 Peter 1:1-9). I have no cause to be fearful whatsoever; everything happening in my life proceeds from His will, with His wisdom, in my interest, for His glory; His Spirit even prays for me when I don't know how to pray (Romans 8:26-30).

As His child, I have the privilege of discipline. I see children running wild in grocery stores and talking back to parents, but my Father is different---He loves me; He doesn't want me to go through life that way---so, He lovingly disciplines me, so that I can become more like Him (Hebrews 12:1-13).

As His child, I have the privilege of talking to Him and have Him speak with me; at times, it may seem that I am shut off from Him, yet, He hears me, as in sincerity I come to Him (Matthew 6:5-15; 7:7-12).

These are things I must keep remembering. I may be different from others, but I'm certainly not inferior; God made me, and He loves and accepts me as His child.

(5) My calling: I am a servant of God. Some people don't like this idea, but it's fine with me, because God gave it; if Christ is a servant, I am happy to be one, also. As a servant, I want to do the will of God (John 4:34), and if anyone cannot accept that, then that is his problem, not mine. I freely give myself to follow Christ, no matter what; I want to be God's person in God's world, doing what pleases Him (Matthew 8:34,35). I desire to be faithful to Christ (Luke 17:7-10), whether things turn out the way I or others like for them to or not. There will be times when I may feel like a fool (Matthew 5:10-12); yet, I must remember that what appears to be success in the eyes of man is not what is success in the eyes of God (Matthew 27:39-43). I shall be faithful and leave the outcome of everything to Him (1 Corinthians 15:58; Galatians 6:9). I'll remember that God has made us all different, and even though I may not have as many talents as the next person, in the end, what counts is my using what God has given me the best that I can; this is success (Matthew 25:14-24).

©2005 K. W. "Pete" Hurst, Hampton, Virginia