Seeking Recognition
A devotional by Kay Pflueger
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” –1 Peter 2:9-10 (ESV)
In my family, I am in the middle of three sisters.
My older sister was two years ahead of me in school and thus, was starting her junior year in high school when I was a freshman. Because she was older and had an established place in the ranks of high school students, I became known as “Lynn’s little sister.” I am not sure any of her friends even knew my name for the first semester of my freshman year!
Lynn was quite popular in school as a member of the dance team. She was well-liked and outgoing. The youngest, Joanie, is five years younger than me and was the cute “baby” of the family who could charm anyone and everyone. And there I was, the middle one—introverted and shy and uncomfortable in my own skin. I felt as though there was no special place for me as I was not the favored first child or the cherished last one. I was the unnoticed one in the shadows.
Recently, while I was looking for a particular book on Amazon, I stumbled across a book by Amy E. Reichert titled Two Pairs of 6” Heels and One Comfortable Shoe. This could have been the title of my autobiography! I was the comfortable shoe between two pairs of 6” heels. Oh, how I wanted so much to be noticed and to feel I had significance other than just being the middle girl. I craved recognition for my accomplishments no matter how small or insignificant they were.
Our human nature leads us to want acceptance by our peers. We want to be noticed by others, so we fill our social media feed with the “best of the best.” We only show what we think will garner “likes” and want to hide the reality of our daily lives. Satan knows we crave that recognition and tries to convince us that our worth is tied up in how many of those “likes” we receive.
However, we don’t need to do anything heroic or mind blowing or spectacular to prove our value. Our worth is defined by who we are in God. If we take to heart what the verse above says, we can accept that we are chosen by Him and are part of His royal priesthood. He loves us and has given us significance just as we are.
In Psalm 130:13-14 (ESV), David reminds us: “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” Remember who you are in Jesus Christ!
Let’s Pray: Why do we keep seeking significance in the opinions of others when we know that our worth is in You (God)? Turn our eyes toward you, Lord when we begin to doubt our value. Shed light on the lies that Satan is planting in our minds and fill us with your Truth. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Amen.
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Author Bio:
Learning to read as a young child opened a world of adventure for Kay Pflueger. She came to realize that words can have a unique power and beauty.
When she is not spending time with her married son and three grandchildren, she is either reading, cooking, writing, or working on pursuing her Copyediting Certification.
Kay is an avid baseball fan who looks forward every summer to following her favorite team, the Chicago Cubs.
She is an active member of Victory Lutheran Church in her hometown of San Diego, California.
Kay enjoys writing devotions to be shared on her church’s website and personal social media.
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Connect with Kay:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kay.m.pflueger
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irishsweetpea/
Thank you, Kay, for reminding us that we are important and valued to the one who loves us most and created us.
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