The Truth About You

by Joani Schultz

I know the truth about YOU.

I’m not a fortune teller or social media whiz. But I do know the raw truth about you. That’s because I believe what God says about YOU.*

You are…

Significant
Desirable
Loved
A masterpiece
Chosen
A friend
Wonderfully made

God Says You Are… from Lifetree on Vimeo.

Do you believe it?

I do.

But why do we struggle to believe the One Voice that really matters when it comes to our identity?

We forget.

“Created by God. Built for a purpose.”

Those words grabbed a mom and her daughter who came to our 2017 VBS field test for Maker Fun Factory.

The whimsical logo shouted “Maker Fun Factory: Created by God. Built for a Purpose.”

They walked in the church door, took one look at the logo and tagline, and burst into tears. That’s because mom and daughter had a blow-up, shout-it-out argument on the way to church. (Okay, who hasn’t had that happen?) In a flood of forgiveness, the mom tried to convince her sullen daughter that she loved her and she really was okay.

“You mean God made ME and built me for a purpose?”

“Yes,” her mom whispered. Then she hugged her tearful daughter. “It’s true, so true.”

Let’s not forget.

God created YOU for a purpose. And you’re needed.

Each year we test every activity and discussion question that children will experience in Group’s upcoming VBS. The week brings one of the most powerful intentional experiences that connects kids with Jesus that I know of. Try it!

Recently I heard speaker and author Arthur Brooks challenge us to think about the value of being needed.

He told the story of a reformed prisoner who proudly holds a job now. Someone ran into this man and asked, “How’s it going?” Happy to see the guy working, the asker didn’t know what the guy’s new job was. The once unemployable man, now an exterminator, reached for his phone.

“Look at this!” he exclaimed like an excited kid at Christmas.

He proudly displayed a text from his boss, “Got a bad case of bed bugs on 41st. I need you right away!”

“Did you see that?” The former prisoner pointed. “Look! My boss said he needs me!”

Have we lost the need to be needed?

I look back on my “Little House on the Prairie” childhood. I grew up on the farm, and at the time, I wasn’t that keen on being needed. But now I wonder.

I begrudgingly worked my chores. Since our family raised chickens, I picked the eggs, washed the eggs, and packed the eggs. I hated reaching underneath smelly chickens to gather freshly laid eggs.

I “walked the beans.” I pulled weeds. I picked rocks. I constantly reminded my parents that I didn’t like any of my duties—at the time. Yet looking back, maybe all those chores lodged a sense of purpose in me.

Somebody needed me. My family needed me to do my part. I had a purpose.

This got me thinking:

Even when we feel worthless and discouraged, God’s got a plan.
Even when we’re sure what we’re doing doesn’t matter, it does.
Even when we’re doing thankless chores, they’re shaping us. (Okay Mom and Dad, I can admit now those chores paid off.)
Even when we think God didn’t create us for a purpose, he has.

That’s all.

I needed to remind myself (so I’m reminding you) that God created us and built us for a purpose.

For a good dose of a Jesus-Centered perspective, dive into:

*Need reminders of what God says about you? See for yourself:

Significant: Matthew 10:30-31; Desirable: Revelation 3:20; Loved: 1 John 4:19; Masterpiece: Genesis 1:27; Unforgettable: Isaiah 49:15; Chosen: John 15:16; Friend: John 15:15; Wonderfully Made: Psalm 139:14.