Worn As A Battle Cry
Like the rest of the world, twelve months ago my life looked very different than it does today, in the middle of a pandemic. Twelve months ago, my full social schedule, ministry commitments, part-time employment opportunities, kids sports and school schedules kept my days full. In a full scheduled life, it was easy to put my head on the pillow at night and feel accomplished or at least like an active participant in the life that was whizzing quickly past. The post pandemic world has left us all a little raw, but my experience of life is different than it was twelve months ago. These days when I lay my head on the pillow at night my accomplishments of the day may include fixing a few meals, baking bread for a friend, putting together a puzzle with my son, or even reading a chapter of a book under my favorite blanket. There has been a lot of internal wrestling to get to a place to see this new life experience as “acceptable” by my standards.
It would have been easier for me to look at Psalms 139:14 (NIV), which says “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” pre-pandemic and feel satisfied with the statement knowing that I was contributing to God’s glory in my choices throughout the day, therefore Christ must be looking at me with satisfaction that he had created me. I may have even chosen to internally settle into the statement and believe it at my core, but the back of my brain was still checking off reasons why that statement was acceptable given what I had accomplished. Getting to a place where I believe that Christ looks at me, His creation, one that is fearfully and wonderfully made, before my feet have hit the floor is an ongoing work in progress. Getting to a place where I praise him for the craftsmanship of me as his creation seems more prideful than God honoring at first glance.
Psalms 139:14 is a verse we often see on a nursery wall or one of the first verses we teach to our young children desiring them to make the connection of God making them in His image – one that is wonderful. This verse was never meant to be a newborn placard, but a stamp that we wear as we enter battle daily in our life. The world challenges us as we watch tv shows and movies, scroll through Instagram and even form our schedules and social circles to question our Creator that maybe a flaw happened in our creation process. But what if we entered this new post pandemic world having sat and wrestled with the truth and even grounding ourselves in the second half of the verse that says “Your works are wonderful, this I know full well” (NIV). I love in the English Standard Version instead of knowing full well it says, “my soul knows it well.” When our soul is at rest with a truth, we live out that truth with ease. But our soul cannot rest in a truth until we have wrestled, sat in the discomfort, and stripped off the lies that have come against the truth.
How much differently would we walk through life if we believed that the Almighty God looked at us, His Creation, with the stamp of “fearfully and wonderfully made.” How would we enter relationships, parent, or walk into a new situation if we knew with confidence that what we view as flaws are a mark of Christ that bring glory to His name? What if we started the day by looking in the mirror and reminding ourselves of Psalms 139:14 and believing the truth that Christ sees us as “fearfully and wonderfully made” before we have accomplished anything. He has already accomplished all that is needed. Our job is to continue showing up and offering ourselves as a living sacrifice to our Creator.
The first time I read Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV), which says “He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing,” I remember being confused about the context. Surely it meant I was to sing over Christ with singing and take delight in Him. But no, God takes great delight in me – in His creation, to the point of singing over me. Take some time to wrestle with that truth because once we have been fully saturated in Zephaniah 3:17 we start to realize how sinful it is to not live like a child of God that was fearfully and wonderfully made. So - put on your stamp, sit in it to the point of knowing it full well, let your soul be saturated in truth, and offer Christ praise because you, my child, are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Melissa Jackson has been married to her college sweetheart, LD for 14 years and they reside in Charlotte, NC. Melissa is a mother to 4 children at all times, but frequently also mom to local foster children and international exchange students. They also share their home with Melissa's parents. Their home is an ever revolving door and they are so thankful to be able to live with hands and hearts open to whatever God calls them to. Melissa has served on staff at churches as well as in leadership roles as a volunteer and has a passion for providing opportunities for others to be the hands and feet of Christ. Melissa began documenting their life of radical faith after her husband left corporate America to do ministry and they became foster parents. More about their journey can be found at www.crazywildfaith.wordpress.com