Devotionals for the Heart: How to be confident in who God made you to be

We Are Fearfully and Wonderfully Made by God
A devotional by Aubrey Taylor

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”

—Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

We are often taught that we must not have a high opinion of ourselves because according to The Holy Bible in Psalm 147:6 (NKJV), “The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground.”

However, I want to encourage you today with this statement: There is something to be said for discovering who we are in Jesus Christ and enjoying becoming the person He made us to be! Does that mean we get to enjoy being ourselves? Yes!

Most of us struggle with one of two extremes: We wrestle with pride, or we harbor guilt and shame for our sin and imperfection. If we work to remain humble, we are aware that our words are little more than an outward show of self-deprecation.

For many years, I believed that my personality and interests meant nothing because I was supposed to reflect Jesus alone. Since then, I have learned that when we truly begin to discover who He has created us to be, we begin to love ourselves the right way, and we are prepared to go out and fulfill the purpose for which He created us.

When we are confident of who He made us to be, we are able to spread His love in a unique way. Perhaps there are people around us who can only be ministered to by someone who has been where we have been, experienced what we have experienced, or who cares about the things we care about (the things we think no one else sees). When we aren’t trying to be what someone else tells us we should be or share God’s love the way someone else has told us to share His love, we are more confident in sharing His story—our story.

Your testimony is irrefutable. You know for certain that this is your story—the story of what God has done in your life. I went from fearful and insecure, unsure if I was “allowed” to do anything outside of going to church and raising my kids, to a life full of amazing opportunities in a variety of areas. Each of these areas provides unique opportunities to shine for Jesus, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Indeed, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. The love Jesus has for us must enable us to love ourselves, because if we are filled with self-deprecation and self-loathing, people see that. Furthermore, if we don’t love ourselves, I doubt we are really able to love others the way God wants us to. I can’t help but wonder if that’s one of the reasons sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the Good News) is so difficult for us. How can I share what I have if I don’t feel confident in it myself?

A few years ago, I received a fortune cookie that read, “The best thing you can do is get good at being you.” It was perfectly timed with what God was taking me through already—a journey of discovering who He made me to be.

During that season, I learned that I didn’t have to set aside my own interests out of fear that they would distract me from God. Rather, He gave me these gifts to serve His purpose in the world. I also found that I was no longer afraid to step out of the comfort zone of church and family to “go where the people are.” My calling and ministry didn’t have to look the way others said it should—it was unique, and I was made uniquely for it.

Today, let’s ask the Lord for a renewed confidence in who He created us to be. Let’s ask Him to teach us how to see ourselves through His eyes and appreciate the unique gifts and callings He has bestowed upon us.

Let’s Pray:

Dear Jesus,

I struggle to find the balance between seeing myself as you see me and feeling ashamed that I’m not who I think I should be. Today, I ask for a renewed vision of the person You’ve made me to be. Remind me that it was in Your image I was created and that it was by Your blood that I was redeemed, according to John 3:16. May I remember that everything You created is good. Help me to walk in that goodness, so that others will see Your love in me. Show me how to tell others my story (testimony) and Your story (the Gospel) with joy.

In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.

Song of Reflection: “Wonderfully Made” by Ellie Holcomb. Listen to it here.

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Author Bio:

The only child of a single parent, Aubrey Taylor filled her younger years by creating characters and writing stories. This ended around age sixteen when music, friends and part-time jobs began to fill her time. After that came college, work, marriage, and children. 

It wasn’t until the world was beginning to come out of the COVID pandemic that God led her back to her love for writing, coupled with a passion she’d always had for history. It was time to start a new adventure!

Along with writing devotionals, Aubrey is the author of the German-perspective 20th Century Fiction series, Gott Mit Uns. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three children. When she’s not writing or taking care of her home and family, she enjoys singing and dancing with friends from a German choir and a Bavarian folk dancing group. She is also a lover of Jesus Christ, The Holy Bible, history, German culture, tea, and cats!

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Connect with Aubrey:
Website: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com
Blog: https://www.aubreytaylorbooks.com/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/aubtaybooks
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aubreytaylorbooks/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21846520.Aubrey_Taylor
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/aubrey-taylor
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Aubrey-Taylor/author/B0973KWXV8