The idea of being wanted and cherished is a powerful one. All of us, whether we realize it or not, want to be loved and treasured and it is one of the most basic and primal needs that we as human beings have. Built into the very core of our being is the need for connection, for relationship and for fellowship with others and no person can be truly happy or whole without these being present.
Have you ever stopped to wonder why we were made this way? Perhaps it is just my innate curiosity but I always want to know the “why” and the “how” of a thing and I believe it is fair to say that human beings and human behavior is utterly fascinating. Where do our drives and our motives come from and what are the ingredients that make us who we are?
The most basic answer is, of course, that God made us in his image and so we share many of his traits. But if we dig a little bit deeper into God’s Word then we can start to understand some amazing truths about who we are and who God created us to be.
Firstly, we need to know that we were hand-crafted by God himself and that we are all one of a kind, originals. We are “wonderfully made!”
For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Psalm 139:13-14a (NASB)
Would God (or anyone) spend time crafting something by hand if it was unimportant or not destined to be loved and cherished? Would he have formed us wonderfully if he did not intend us for something special? Most definitely not!
Secondly, we need to realize that we are here because God wants us. God delights in his creation and mankind (you and me!) sit at the very top of that creation story.
For from him and through him and for him are all things Romans 11:36a (NIV)
God created all things; that is they came from him and were made through his creative power. But look at those two very important words in the middle of Romans 11:36. All things were made for him. The entirety of creation exists because God wants it and cherishes it and that includes you and me. And once we understand how profound that is we can answer many questions with those same two words and with the knowledge that God’s joy is expressed in his creation.
Why do the birds sing?
For Him!
Why does the sun shine?
For Him!
Why do the flowers bloom?
For Him!
Why am I here?
For Him!
God chose us, you and I, personally. We wouldn’t have been created and we wouldn’t be here if he didn’t want us to be. His love, his delight and his creative power are expressed through us and the best thing we can do with our lives is to love him back with everything that we have to give. We find our ultimate purpose and our highest calling when we return the love that God first showed us and decide to enter into a relationship with him.
He chose us, but have we chosen him? We were created by him and for him but do we really understand what that means? Only by getting to know him and truly seeking his ways can we experience real and lasting joy and find peace in our hearts.