My Body, My Choice?

The news is constantly filled with stories about women (and men and children) who want to have complete control over their bodies– they want to choose their gender, dramatically change their appearance, and determine when (or if) they will have children, commit to relationships, or accept the responsibility that comes with having a body.

In many ways, “my body, my choice” seems reasonable and even fair. No one wants other people to have control over their life and death, or their health and welfare, with no say and no choice. But often, this phrase is twisted into a fantasy that every person can do whatever s/he wants with their body, without accepting the consequences or responsibilities that come with their behavior or their natural abilities.

I once saw an online argument in which a young and earnest writer boldly claimed that “bodily autonomy is a ‘thing.'” They went on to argue that ‘bodily autonomy’ gave them the right to government-funded abortion on demand, access to puberty blockers, the right to identify as whatever gender (or species) they felt like, all without restriction or ‘judgment’ by anyone else. What? “Bodily Autonomy” is a phrase, suggesting that a person has the right to control or “own” their own body, and not answerable to any other authority, law, or limitation. But being a ‘thing’ doesn’t make ‘bodily autonomy’ a reality. I can make many choices about my body– but there are many realities over which I have no “choice”– no control or authority or resources to accomplish.

I’m short. I cannot suddenly become tall. I am a woman. No matter how many hormones I pump into my body, no matter how many surgeries I could have to make me look or sound like a man, or “function” somewhat like a man, I will never have a man’s body or a man’s DNA. I am barren. The idea that pregnancy was always a “choice” for me denies the very real emotional struggle I went through in accepting my body’s limitations. I recently lost a sister-in-law to cancer. What a mockery to chant “my body, my choice!’ to someone who is dying of cancer or who was born with cystic fibrosis or is battling ALS or multiple sclerosis. And sometimes, other people violate our bodies– we may struggle, but we cannot prevent someone else from abusing us physically or sexually. So, although bodily autonomy may be a “thing” or an ideal, it is not a guarantee. And if the choices we make in our body end up abusing, hurting, or killing another living being, that is not autonomy– it’s unjust and predatory.

But what does the Bible say? Does God give us choices about our bodies?

There is nothing specific in the Bible about gender dysphoria, or plastic surgery. There is no mention of third trimester abortion or modern feminism, or queer lifestyles. But there are many teachings about our bodies AND our choices. And surprisingly, the Bible does NOT say that we have no control or “rights” over our own bodies. Instead, the Bible tells us the following:

God is the creator of all life. Life is a gift from God, not a random accident. And no one– NO ONE– can spontaneously come into being. So, the idea of “bodily autonomy” cannot be true of anyone who has ever depended on someone else to be born or to grow up or to become pregnant. God’s word makes it clear that “autonomy” is NOT the goal of creation. God’s purpose for us is to connect– with Him and with each other. He created men and women different, yet complementary. He created families to live and work together– the old teaching the young, as the young care for the old–sharing and building a legacy. Sin corrupts God’s design– it seeks to subvert it and destroy it, replacing it with a twisted independence that leads to isolation and loneliness, distrust, anger, pride and hatred.
God doesn’t make mistakes. He doesn’t delight in our struggles, our limitations, or our diseases. But Sin corrupts– right down into our DNA. God does not wipe out the consequences of Sin in our world– not yet. Someday, He will bring an end to all the causes of suffering, confusion, and grief. But in the meantime, He promises to be present WITH us THROUGH the struggle. We may not understand fully how our bodies work or why they do (or don’t do) what we might like. We may wonder why we look the way we do, or why our nose is “too small” or our body is shaped like a pear, when we want it to be an hourglass, or our hair in impossible to keep tamed, or we face a family history of oversized ears. We may struggle with diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, and even gender dysphoria. But God isn’t sitting in the wings, laughing at our circumstances. He promises to be both “present” and “sufficient,” even in the midst of our pain and uncertainty.
God calls us to take care of the bodies He gave us to the best of our ability. That means it is sinful to have indiscriminate sex with unknown partners who may be carrying venereal diseases– and also to overeat or starve ourselves with fad diets, or to pierce ourselves with unclean needles, whether getting a tattoo from an unlicensed and unclean parlor, or shooting up with heroin. Sexual and gender issues grab headlines and make for great political fodder, but we can make the mistake of thinking that such sins are “bigger” than lying or gossip or greed or pride, or that they are unforgiveable– they are NOT! God can remove the stain of abortion, rebellion, gossip, addiction, lying, drunkenness, body shaming, and judgmentalism.
God HAS given us the power of choice– we can choose our behaviors, our lifestyle, our morals, and our relationships. He has also given us governments to create laws and punishments for those who break them. But a law doesn’t actually prevent you from doing an act– it merely outlines the negative consequences for breaking that law. Laws can’t prevent people from committing murder, rape, theft, arson, etc., but laws provide a framework for responsibility and punishment to discourage certain behaviors and affirm the rights of even the most vulnerable among us. In other words, a law can’t prevent you from having an abortion or a sex change– but it can limit your ability to do so by forcing you to face negative consequences– jail time, higher fees, fewer practitioners willing to make such decisions “easy” and socially acceptable. God has given us His law in the Bible to show us how far we have fallen away from His standards and His character. On our own, we will never fulfill the entire law. But that is the heart of the Gospel– Jesus came to free us from both the power of Sin and the condemnation that comes from yielding to it. The Holy Spirit can give us the power to make Godly choices, knowing that Christ’s atoning sacrifice has paid the price for our sinful choices of the past.
Our choices come with consequences. We are ‘free’ to make bad choices, but we (and others!) are not free of the consequences of our choices. “My body, my choice” is an anthem of entitlement– of rights without responsibilities. Many of our choices carry great risks. Abortion is not a risk-free solution to a “problem.” Just as pregnancy presents risks, so does the medical procedure to end one. Clinics can minimize the risks, but there is no such thing as a guaranteed “safe escape” from an unplanned pregnancy. Sex change operations are even riskier, with complications that can be profound, chronic, and extremely painful. Risky health and sex habits don’t become any less risky just because they are legal or socially accepted. Experimenting with drugs can end in tragic death or lifelong damage to the heart or brain, as well as the horrors of addiction. Eating or drinking in excess will still lead to health problems, even if there is a new miracle fad drug that masks the early symptoms.
Sin has consequences that are often NOT of our making or choosing. It is not fair, it is not just, and it is not your fault. Punishing an innocent person will not take away that fact. It only spreads the consequences of Sin to someone else– someone who will be another innocent victim– YOUR victim. Cutting off family and friends because they don’t “affirm” your new lifestyle will not change them. It will hurt them. It will hurt you. It will not make your lifestyle any more acceptable to them. Aborting a baby will not change the circumstances of the pregnancy or make the abuse or memories of a rape disappear. Someday, God will restore justice, reward hope, and remove all grief and pain for those who learn to trust Him.

In the end, God has given you “your” body, and He has given you “your” choice. But He also warns you of the consequences of making selfish, dangerous choices that can result in death, heartbreak, regrets, and long-term damage for short-term benefits. He also promises the blessings of recognizing that “your” soul was made to have a relationship with a Holy and Perfect God, and that your “choice” to follow Him will bring eternal and glorious benefits, including a new and sinless “body” in Heaven. I pray that I will make good choices to take care of “my body” today. And I pray that eyes and minds will be opened to the wonder of God’s gift of life, and His plan for every “body” around me.

October 16, 2026 0

God Created…

For the Beauty of the Earth
The United Methodist Hymnal Number 092
Text: Folliot S. Pierpoint
Music: Conrad Kocher; Arr. by W.H. Monk
Tune: DIX, Meter: 77.77.77

1. For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

2. For the beauty of each hour
of the day and of the night,
hill and vale, and tree and flower,
sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

3. For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind’s delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

.

4. For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

5. For thy church, that evermore
lifteth holy hands above,
offering up on every shore
her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

6. For thyself, best Gift Divine,
to the world so freely given,
for that great, great love of thine,
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.

This week, may we raise hymns of grateful praise to the creator of all the beauty of the earth.

For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all tings were created by him and for him.
Colossians 1:16

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
St. John 1:1-5 (ESV)

August 10, 2026 0

This Little Light…

Today just happens to be the 57thth anniversary of the first moon landing, so I’d like to talk a little about the wonders of our moon, and the creator who put it there.

Mirrors, lakes, glass, and more can be used to reflect both light and images. The moon reflects light from the sun to light our way at night. God created it to do just that, and I believe that God never wastes an opportunity to teach us lessons in nature. So I want to look at just some of the ideas that occur to me about how the moon can teach us about reflecting God’s light in our darkened world.

First, the moon generates no light on its own. The moon is NOT the sun– it does not and cannot generate light or heat. On its own, it is lifeless and cold. But because of where it is, and what it is, it provides light, acts on the oceans to create tides, and helps us chart the weeks, months, and seasons. The moon doesn’t act independently, but it has purpose and beauty in reflecting the sun and following its prescribed orbit around the earth. If the moon were smaller, farther from the earth, nearer to the earth, or different in its nature, the effect on the earth and on all life would be devastating.

Second, the moon can only reflect the sun’s light when it is in position to do so. Moonlight is different every night because of its changing position. We have names for all the many phases– full moon, half-moon, quarter moon, crescent moon, new moon, and so on. Even more dramatic are the eclipses– when the world comes between the sun and moon, we get a lunar eclipse– the moon is shadowed because the sunlight cannot reach it– the world gets in the way. And, if the moon comes between the sun and the earth, there is a solar eclipse– the world becomes dark as the moon gets in the way of the sun’s rays. There is a good lesson here to us. If we are to reflect God’s light and character to the world, we cannot afford to let the world block out our light source. Worse, we cannot reflect light to the world when we step in front of our source and block out the Son!

Third, the moon can be visited– it can be mapped, studied, comprehended. We can look directly at the moon, stare at it, look at it through a telescope, and not go blind. We can send people in rockets to walk on the moon, take samples of its dust and rocks, plant flags on its surface, and even leave trash on its surface. There is still mystery and fascination to be found on the moon, but it doesn’t have the glory and awe of the sun. We can study the world God made– enjoy and delight in its wonders and discover its riches. God is unapproachable light. He is glorious and majestic in ways we cannot begin to comprehend. AND YET– God has created the universe in such a way that it “reveals” His glory and His character. Just as the moon reflects the unapproachable light of the sun, so we are created to reflect the Holy character of God– through obedience to Him.

Another interesting observation– there is no moon, nor need for it, in Heaven. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, but there is no mention of a new moon. There will be no seas (no tides), and no night. We will no longer be a reflection of God’s character to a darkened world– instead, we will be living in the actual light of His presence. What an awesome thought!

Obviously, like most analogies, there is no perfect correlation here. These are just some random thoughts and observations, and I’m no scientist or theologian. But, today, as we (hopefully) enjoy some time in the sun, and tonight as we reflect on the moon, I pray that we would get a special glimpse of His glory, and that we may use any opportunities that come our way to reflect it.

July 20, 2026 0

If I Could Change the World

Several years ago, Eric Clapton recorded a song written by Tommy Sims, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick. It was called, “(If I Could) Change the World”, and it ended up winning three Grammy awards. The chorus keeps repeating, “(if) I could change the world– I would be the sunlight in your universe. You would think my love was really something good. Baby, if I could change the world.”

The song speaks to a great longing we have to, if not change the entire world, at least change the circumstances around us. If only we could! Especially in a situation like that of the singer, who is in love with someone who doesn’t return his feelings. Oh the things he would do– He would bring down the stars, he would be king for a day, he would shine as bright as the sun! All in the hope of changing the heart of the woman he loves…Ahh, romance.

But there is a reality in this song that grieves the heart of God. Our world NEEDS to change. It is fallen, and it is on a collision course with death and destruction due to Sin. It is natural that we should want to change the world around us– it is full of danger, disappointment, death, and deception. But the only one who can truly change it (for the better) is the one who created it in the first place. We want to change the world by taking the place of God. WE want to be the sun in the center of our solar system. WE want to place the stars and planets. WE want to be the kings and queens of our days and lives.

And there are certain things over which we DO have that kind of control. WE can change our attitudes. WE can change our behaviors. WE can change some elements of our environment and our social circle. We can change jobs, hairstyles, addresses, sleep schedules, gym memberships, diets, and more.

But there are other things that we simply cannot change. We can’t change the weather– even when we talk of “climate change” we don’t speak of individuals being able to single-handedly improve (or destroy) the environment. We can’t change another person’s heart (as this song laments), or their mind. And, as Jesus reminds us, we can’t add a single hour to our lives (see Matthew 6:27)! We cannot change our genetic code to add inches to our height or subtract inches around our middle! And, while surgeons suggest that we can change our gender, it is not possible for a man or woman to change their basic DNA and assigned organs to completely “become” someone else. We cannot change the rotation of the Earth (and thank goodness! Even the slightest changes would wipe out life as we know it!) We cannot even rid the world of mosquitoes!

But our “groaning” echoes that of all nature (see Romans 8:22-23)– we long to see the world as it SHOULD BE. Something in our souls longs to see the world renewed, transformed, and perfected. And it WILL BE! God has promised to make a “new heaven and earth” (see Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1) And when that happens, HE will be the sunshine in our universe. We will KNOW that His Love is REALLY something Good! And while we wait, Jesus has promised to change our current situation, as well. HE can change our world! And that’s something worth singing about!

March 13, 2026 0

Of Rocks and Rills…

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Genesis 1:31 ESV
(emphasis added)

I love spending time in nature– walking, riding, or biking through woods and meadows, hills and valleys, along lakes or rivers. God has created such beauty and majesty in every part of our world! I grew up surrounded by woods and water– lakes, rivers, old forests and new-growth woods, with lots of farmland and meadows spread out over low rolling hills. So it is always with wonder that I look upon mountains, deserts, rain forests and jungles, and tropical settings because they are not part of the “normal” landscape for me. Even so, I never tire of the sites that greet me year-round–the steady breaking waves rolling in off Lake Michigan; the babbling of a small river or stream over field stone as it races down a small hill toward a pond; trees bowing and dancing in the wind just before a storm, or snow sparking across the frozen fields…

Nature is not just beautiful. It gives us yet another way to experience God’s “nature”– his character and provision. God is steady like a rock– strong, enduring, a safe refuge. God is refreshing and life-giving as a river– ready to wash away aches and soothe us. God is eternal, and his love is as vast and deep as the ocean. God is mysterious as the forest–giving shade and cover, and concealing treasures, and ancient secrets. God is faithful and steady as the sunrise and sunset and the pattern of the seasons. God is as open as a meadow, as pure as an ice shelf, as glorious as a desert sunset.

My husband and I recently returned from a vacation in which we drove through mountains and valleys, traced rivers and streams, and watched the rain falling gently on thirsty fields and meadows. We saw crags of ancient rock, watched happy cows resting in the shade of a copse of trees, saw herons at the edge of a small lake, and dipped our toes in a natural warm spring. We saw geese flying south for the winter, and squirrels chattering as they gathered nuts. It was beautiful, and it all spoke of a God who created variety and complexity, who cares for the land, the flowers of the field, and the birds of the air, and who calls to us through the beauty and grandeur of ordinary days in His Nature.

big wooden cross on green grass field under the white clouds

I pray that we can experience both aspects of God’s nature today–His Sovereignty and His Creation–and praise Him for who He is and how He has revealed Himself all around us.

September 29, 2025 0

Three Things I Pray…

In the Broadway musical, Godspell, there is a simple ballad, “Day By Day,” in which the singer(s) express a desire to be closer to Jesus. Day By Day/YouTube There are three “prayers”– 1) to see thee more clearly; 2) Love thee more dearly, and 3) follow thee more nearly. I have heard various opinions and critiques of the musical, from the use of clown makeup and vaudeville tunes, to the marginal grammar of this song. But I’d like to spend some time digging in to the three simple prayers.

Today, I want to look at (literally) the first prayer– “to see thee more clearly”. There is one prayer, but I think it can be broken down into two parts.

First, I want to SEE God. God is Spirit–an invisible essence– and yet he manifests himself in a million different ways all around us. God is in the inky, endless blackness of a moonless night, and in the vibrant colors of spring blossoms; in the glaring reflection of the sun off the lake, or the gray and palpable mist over the meadow. He is in the wrinkled face of my neighbor, and the exuberant smile of a toddler, and the beauty of a horse running or an eagle soaring. But I can see all of this and more and still not see God. I can focus on the creation and miss the creator. I can focus on the beauty and learn nothing of the artist. I can see the amazing variety of people in the world– skin tones and eye shapes, facial expressions, and body language, dimples and hairstyles and nose-wrinkling, and hand-wringing, and miss the Love of God for each one.

Sadly, I can sing this prayer, pray for insight, and still miss seeing God. I can trample His creation, dismiss His presence, and hate the people He loves enough to die for; people who bear the stamp of His image.

And I want to see Him “more clearly”–I want to see him as he really is, and not as I imagine him to be. We live in an age of glossy retouched photos of models and celebrities; we “see” their image, without knowing what they truly look like, and without knowing anything about who they really are inside. In many ways, God is only slightly less invisible than the real people around us. How many people do we ignore in a day’s time? How many do we glance at, only to get stuck on a single detail (a hair on their sweater, or something caught in their teeth, or a receding hairline or blotchy face). How many people surprise us by not being like the image they project? I don’t want to see a Photoshop Jesus; a glossy, smiling image of someone who says only what I want to hear, and looks like nothing ever touches him. I want to see the Jesus who wept over the death of his friend; the Jesus who laughed with delight as he talked with children; the Jesus whose eyes were full of compassion even as he was dying on the cross. I want to see the Living Word of God.

Jesus is close– closer than we think. I want to spend today seeing him more clearly.

June 2, 2025 0

How Great Thou Art

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Clouds dot the cerulean sky,
A gentle breeze whispers,
And flowers nod as I walk
A country path.
Then sings my soul.

Trees bow and rain coils,
Gales roar and city streets
Shiver as I wait
In sheltered awe.
Then sings my soul.

A newborn nestles in my arms
Making sucking noises
In its slumber,
As arms and legs
Learn to measure open space.
Then sings my soul.

Families gather in black
Murmuring comfort
In somber tones
As they learn to
Measure the empty space.
Then sings my soul.

How Great Thou Art!
How awesome in power!
How glorious your Creation!
How mysterious your ways!
How lavish in Life,
And triumphant over Death!

My souls sings;
Sometimes sweet and low,
And sometimes keening.
My soul dances;
It reels and skips and sways.
My soul cries and laughs and trills.
But always, it says,
“How Great Thou Art!”

April 23, 2025 0

All Creation Sings His Praise

Tigers and turtles; flamingos and fleas; whales and warthogs; skinks and skunks; rocks and rosebuds; Eskimos and Ecuadorians–God’s world is filled with variety. Chirping birds and thundering herds; roaring seas and buzzing bees. Colors, sounds, smells, and sensations– we are surrounded by glimpses of glory, echoes of eternity, and hints of Heaven.

Often, we take for granted the beauty of God’s creation– we don’t stop seeing it, we just stop marveling at it. Instead of drinking it in, we drown it out. We criticize, analyze, and theorize…why did God make rats? how does He exist outside of time? when will He change the seasons this year (will we have spring? how long will winter last)? what is the purpose of dust? why are some animals (or rocks or plants) colorful, or noisy, or deadly, or smelly, or slow? And we miss the forest for the trees– we get caught up in the amazing details and infinite variety in creation, and miss the majesty of the creator– His sense of the ridiculous in things like tumbleweeds and walking sticks, dust devils and platypuses, or His artistry in butterfly wings, dew on spiderwebs, and cascading waterfalls– in geodes and dimples and mewling kittens. We miss the elegant design in a bees knees, or galaxies, or a banyan tree.

God creates– it is an element of His character. And we are made in His image– we long to create. From drafting sentences to making a pie to shaping a piece of wood into something sturdy and useful– we long to produce, to concoct, to cause growth, to heal, to nurture, and to effect change. We are also created with a deep appreciation of creation– the wisdom and the work it takes to set planets spinning, and ecosystems cooperating, and to unfold a new sunrise every morning.

If you haven’t already, take a few minutes asking God to open your eyes and ears to the song and dance of creation today–from dandelions to darting dragonflies to the amazing variety of people dodging traffic or making conversation around you. Join in!

April 21, 2025 0

Almighty!

I’ve been looking at the Names of God lately. In my last post, I meditated on “Adonai”– The LORD. God has the ultimate authority over all things. He is the Master; the King; the Ruler; the One LORD of All.

Today, I want to explore a related Name– Almighty. It is often used in conjunction with LORD. God is the LORD ALMIGHTY. Whereas LORD refers to God’s ultimate authority, Almighty refers to His Absolute Ability. He is all-powerful, all-wise– able to do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ever ask or imagine (see Ephesians 3:20). There is literally nothing that God cannot do. There are many things He WILL not do– He will never leave or forsake those who are His; He will never be untrue to His own Word or break His promises; He will never change His nature or be untrue to it– but He CAN do whatever He wants.

And this is where we sometimes fail to grasp the fullness of His name, Almighty. We know that He is Mighty; that He is mightier than we are, at least. But He is the source of Everything! He is mightier than Nature–He spoke all of it into being! He is mightier than Time– He is unbound by time or age or deterioration. He is mightier than Sin and Death– He proved that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is mightier than the dark emptiness of space– He holds the entire Universe in His Hands!

And that brings me to the subconscious wonder of the name, Almighty. God is not JUST all-powerful and eternally capable. His Almighty nature is GOOD! All of His power is regulated and matched by Mercy and Grace! He has the authority (as LORD) and the power (as the Almighty) to be a terrible enemy. In fact, Job speaks of this repeatedly when he feels that God is punishing him unfairly (see Job 27). I can’t argue against God and win; I can’t grapple with God and defeat Him (Jacob tried that in Genesis 32). I am powerless against God– physically, mentally, spiritually–I cannot “win” against God by fighting, arguing, cajoling, bargaining, or using any weapon. There is no army, no spirit, no power that can budge God from His plans.

But God is NOT my enemy or my rival! Only Sin and my own rebellion and pride can make me an enemy of God. In fact, He wants a relationship with me; He wants me to live in peace and harmony with Him! He has moved Heaven and Earth to reconcile me to Himself through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is like a mama bear or a lioness with their cubs, jealously guarding me from Sin and Death. He is my Father, my protector, my provider, and my Shepherd– the ALMIGHTY! And yet He cares about the smallest details of my life– He numbers the hairs on my head and keeps track of any injustice that has ever been done to me (or by me!) to be settled and made perfect on the Day of Judgment.

What a humbling thought! What a joyous reality! The Almighty LOVES ME! He LOVES YOU! And His Love is all-powerful and eternal. The ALMIGHTY IS LOVE! How can I not praise Him! How can I not see Him in every moment!

April 11, 2025 0

You-nique!

Have you ever read through a passage in the Bible and been astonished, or even annoyed, at the long lists of names? Genesis, Chronicles, Ezra, even some of Paul’s letters contain genealogies and long strings of names– people whose life stories and deeds we will never know. Yet they are included in the greatest story of all time! God knows each name. He knows who they were, what they did, their hopes and dreams, their fears and disappointments– even the number of hairs on each of their heads!

“And the very hairs on your head are all numbered…”– Jesus Christ in Luke 12:7a (New Living Translation)

God knows you in the same intimate way. In the entire history of the universe, and in all the future years to come, there has only ever been, and only ever will be ONE of YOU. Your fingerprints, your retinas, your DNA are all unique to YOU. Even if you are a twin or triplet– even if you are the “spitting image” of one of your ancestors or relatives, NO ONE else can ever share your life story. Even if you were cloned, and there was another person who shared your exact physical nature, they would not share your soul– your thoughts, emotions, ambitions, griefs, and experiences.

And you are uniquely qualified in prayer. No one else can share your thoughts and feelings, your praises and confessions, your requests or petitions. Thirty people can pray for the same situation, the same person; there will be thirty different prayers! Even if you say the same words, or stand in agreement with another’s spoken words, you will not pray with the same exact thoughts. Your heart-cry is different from everyone else’s.. and God hears and understands each unique prayer. Out of all the prayers rising to heaven every second of every day, God can distinguish and delight in YOURS!

Some days it is frustrating to feel like “just another number” or “lost in the shuffle” of other people waiting in line, or trying to conduct business over the phone, or scrolling though social media. But you are never just a number to God. He knows your name– he has known it from eternity past! Your prayers are not put “on hold,” or filed away for later review, or answered with a form letter. God is personal– eight billion times over! He doesn’t just celebrate your uniqueness– He designed it!

What unique and amazing prayer will you pray today? How can you live out your unique personality and purpose this week? Who might be encouraged by your unique smile, your prayers, or your personal touch as you go through your day? Just remember, no one else can be you– no one else can show God’s character and His love exactly like you can! God didn’t send someone else to do what only you can. But He will be there each moment to help you do it– in your own YOU-nique way.

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139&version=TLB

July 24, 2024 0

Tag: creation