Nobody is a Nobody - Encouragement for Today - August 11, 2015
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AUGUST 11, 2015
Nobody is a Nobody |
"… In the very place where they were once named Nobody, they will be named God’s Somebody." Hosea 1:10 (The Message)
She greeted me as I entered the cafeteria on Parents’ Day, with a voice as warm and sweet as hot chocolate. Our eldest son, Clayton, was a college freshman and this was the first time we’d been back to visit him. We’d met faculty members, the dorm resident director and lots of his new friends. So, when this woman greeted me, I politely asked, "Now, tell me who you are?"
The woman hesitated. Her pause made me wonder if I had said something wrong. Maybe she wasn’t accustomed to being asked this question. Maybe, I thought, I should know who she is. I imagine she looked down and saw my white cane and realized I was blind, and that might be why she answered in such a kind tone: "Oh, Ma’am. I’m nobody. I just clean tables."
I reached toward her and found her hand. "You are not a nobody! You are not just a table cleaner!" I told her. "My name is Jennifer. What’s yours?" She laughed and told me her name.
As I said goodbye and walked with my son to our table, I thought to myself, That woman is not a nobody! Nobody is a nobody!
And it’s true, isn’t it? Nobody is a nobody, and nobody is just a table cleaner. Or, just a mom. Or, just a clerk. Or, just a housekeeper. Or, just a teacher. Or, just an … anything! But we often find ourselves in places or seasons of life where we feel like a nobody. It can be hard to see our own value if we feel constantly overlooked, or when we associate our value with our virtue. You know, if we are good, we are worthy of being acknowledged. If we behave, we merit attention.
There was a woman who lived back in the 8th century B.C. who probably felt like a nobody. Her name was Gomer. I bet if someone asked, "Who are you?" She’d probably shrug and say, "Oh, I’m nobody." Or, she might say, "I’m a mess. I’ve got a past I’m ashamed of. I was a prostitute. I’m nobody."
But her answer should be, "I am not a nobody, I am Gomer. I am loved and accepted and, yes, I am prone to wander."
Gomer had been a prostitute, but she became a prophet’s wife. Her identity changed when she said "I do" to Hosea. When you declared "I do" to Jesus, you received a new identity, too.
You became God’s somebody! When you are in Christ, you are a new creation!
You are not your current failures or your past mistakes. You are not your successes or your virtues. You are not what you do, what you did, what you haven’t done, what you should have done or what you wish you’d done. You are not what you have gone through. You are not what someone else has said about you. You are not a nobody! You are a chosen, loved woman whom God calls His beloved.
His beloved … that is who God sees when He looks at you. Can you begin to accept the you God sees?
Just like Gomer, you are a somebody — a loved, significant somebody. God chose you even when you felt like a nobody. He loved you while you were still a sinner (Romans 5:8). God didn’t choose to love you because you were some spectacular somebody. He didn’t choose to love you because you were already lovely. He loved you and, then, you became lovely. Your value comes from His inherent value.
You’re already loved, so you just need to embrace how God sees you. Yet, how do you do this … especially on those days when you feel like a nobody?
Here’s one sentence — just one little sentence — packed with big truth to help you when you feel like a nobody. Write it down, memorize it and repeat it to yourself: How I feel is not who I am.
Now, say it to yourself out loud! How I feel is not who I am! Good job! Say it over and over. How I feel is not who I am!
From one somebody to another, let’s remember the truth that we are not how we feel! We are God’s somebodies!
Lord, because You are worthy, I have worth. Help me to find my identity and value in You and You alone. Protect me from the lie that says I am what I do or how I feel. I choose to walk in the truth today with Your strength. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Titus 3:4-7, "But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." (NIV)
RELATED RESOURCES:
If you’ve ever felt unimportant or insecure, you’ll discover like Gomer, that you have never been invisible to God. Get a Free Audio Book and other freebies with your purchase of Invisible: How You Feel Is Not Who You Are, a brand new book by Jennifer Rothschild.
To get Jennifer’s blog updates by email, visit her website.
Enter to WIN a copy of Invisible: How You Feel is Not Who You Are by Jennifer Rothschild. In celebration of this book, Jennifer’s publisher is giving away 10 copies! Enter to win by leaving a comment here, letting us know why you’d like a copy for yourself OR whom you would give the book to, if you won. {We’ll randomly select 10 winners and email notifications to each one, by Monday, August 17.}
REFLECT AND RESPOND:
When was the last time you felt like a nobody?
The next time you begin to feel like a nobody, remind yourself: You are God’s somebody. How you feel is not who you are. You are God’s chosen beloved.
© 2015 by Jennifer Rothschild. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries thanks Harvest House for their sponsorship of today’s devotion.
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