Pondering Justly

Have you ever been to a planetarium?  While we were on deputation we went to the planetarium at the Creation Museum in Kentucky.  It was amazing!  And my favorite one by far!
It started off showing the earth beautifully spinning around our sun.  Every so often I would spot the state of Florida.  Then, it zoomed out and showed our solar system with all of its planets.  I could no longer make out our state of Florida, but there was our blue earth.  Then, it zoomed out again to show our galaxy, The Milky Way.  It  contains over 200 billion stars and our star just looked like dust.  Then, it zoomed out again to show the many galaxies that can be seen by our Hubble telescope.  This telescope can actually see over 100 billion galaxies!  Amazing!  I could no longer see earth, our sun, or even our galaxy! It made me realize how small I am, and how amazing God is!  He created it all!  Our space is amazing, breathtaking and full of awe and wonder!

Yet, we have only 8 verses in the Bible on our Space, our solar system and our galaxy.

In comparison, hoow many verses that contain genealogies? Genesis, Numbers, Chronicles, Ruth, Matthew, Luke…  (ever get bogged down in Numbers?)  Verse after verse in our Bible contains names. What does this teach us?  

God is so much more interested in people than in our galaxy.

And this was the thought that I had while pondering the next word in my study on Philippians 4:8.  I covered thinking on what is true, and I studied on how to think on what is honest.  The next word in line was Just.  So, what exactly does Just mean?

Just-righteous, faultless, thinking, feeling and acting wholly conformed to the will of God.  Passing just judgement, fair and balanced.

Almost sounds like a law firm, doesn't it?

We should be thinking justly, as God thinks.  So the question is, 

“How is your view of YOU?”  Is it truthful, correct, fair and balanced?  Is it JUST? 

  Ladies tend to put themselves down and feel like they’re not good enough and not measuring up.  But, what does the Bible say about YOU?

   You are unique!  Nobody can be you or do what you do.  Absolutely no one else can fill the spot for which you were designed. 

There seems to be lots of talk about self esteem and self confidence, but  It’s not so much having a self-confidence…It’s more like having a God confidence; confident that God knew what He was doing when He made you!

  Even every one that is called by my name:  for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.  Isaiah 43:7

Now, reread that verse again and in place of "HIM"  put your name in there.  

for I have created Kami for my glory, I have formed Kami;   yea, I have made Kami!

What a thought!

Remember, we can often find if we are struggling in our thinking by looking at the negative sense and what wrong thoughts will produce.  If you are not thinking “Justly” then you are more than likely struggling with low self-esteem, putting yourself down and you don’t feel useful.  When you struggle with self-worth, it makes you feel inferior and wrecks your testimony and usefulness.  It limits accomplishments in life all because how we “think” about ourselves.

So how about a little test. You may be struggling with low self esteem and self worth if:

~When people compliment you or something you have done, you find the need to point out all the negative instead of a simple, “Thank you”.  I am forever pointing out mistakes in my quilting if someone sees my quilts.  I point out a mismatched seam here or a mistake I made there....What about saying "Thank You" and graciously taking a compliment.

~Your mind often wanders to your failures and you linger on them and wish you would’ve done things differently.  We ladies tend to focus on our regrets and failures instead of moving forward. 

~You second guess decisions that you need to make.  Even when you know what is the way God would have you to handle it.

~You are uncomfortable with things in your appearance that you cannot change.  Maybe a big nose or crooked teeth...we ladies are too often concerned with the unchangeables.

~You feel like you don’t measure up to your sisters, friends, famous people….

~You find yourself constantly comparing your accomplishments with other’s accomplishments.

~You feel that there is a voice inside your head that says, ““You are never good enough. You always . . . (blank). You didn’t . . . (blank). You won’t . . . (blank). You can’t . . . (blank).”

If we are honest, we can all admit at one time or another struggling with self worth. So, how do you turn this around?  It starts in your mind….Whatsoever things are just!  It is your choice how you think.  You are the only one who gets to train your mind!  We need to think as God thinks!  Just-thinking, feeling, and acting wholly conformed to the will of God.

What does God think about you?
You are God’s Masterpiece Ephesians 2:10

You are chosen 1 Peter 2:9

You are hand-picked Jeremiah 1:5

You are forgiven 1 John 1:9

You are set free Romans 6:18

You are precious Isaiah 43:4

You are loved 1 John 4:19

You are rejoiced over Zephaniah 3:17

You are healed by His stripes 1 Peter 2:24

You are wonderfully made Psalm 139:14

You are valuable 1 Corinthians 6:20

You are worth more than rubies Proverbs 31:10

You are a joint heir with Christ Romans 8:17

You are God’s Friend John 15:15

Now, reread that list and in place of "You", put "I."

Reread it again and put in your name in place of "You."  You really are special and you are loved!

Real Self-Worth and real love for yourself begins with knowing you are loved!  Agape love (the kind Christ has for us!) says, “I love you just because you are you.”  There is nothing we can ever do that would change God’s love for us.

 Does He love us when we fail? Yes.

 Does He love us when we disappoint Him?  Yes.

 Does He love us when we’ve had a day that we filled with wrong thoughts?  Yes!

 When we start thinking Justly, we have a sense of worth, we have direction in our lives.  We establish goals.  It’s a life with purpose!