Discouragement is a reality and it comes at us from so many different directions!  But as a child of the most high King, we should never get stuck in discouragement.  Discouragement will come our way, but we don’t have to let it stay!

When you find yourself facing discouragement, stop and ask yourself this question:  “Why should I ever be discouraged?”  God created me in His image.  God bought and paid for my forgiveness, so that I can have everlasting relationship with Him.  God is preparing a place for me and will one day carry me to that place to live with Him forever and ever.  When we look at all that God has for us, then it helps us to not be taken over by the little that comes against us.

Life is tough!  But we don’t have to let the toughness of life get us down and we certainly should not let it take us out.  Don’t let your courage get dissed!  That is exactly what discouragement is:  It is the disrespecting of your courage!  Don’t just take it, get up and fight it for God’s glory and your blessing!

See here is the amazing truth about discouragement:  On the other side of discouragement there is promotion, if we are faithful!  That’s right!  God wants to use your discouragement to take you to places that you could never take yourself, to help you do incredible and amazing things, to move you out of your comfort zone and into a place of grace, a place where your faith can grow and allow you to transform into something amazing for Him!

The enemy wants to weigh you down with burdens, but God wants to set you free with joy!  It’s your choice – what’s it going to be?

The world is continually trying to drag you down.  People around you, sometimes even those closest to you – are filling your life with all of the wrong messages.  A lot of the time, it is not with any negative intentions, it is just that people get stuck living in negativity and can’t find the way out and don’t want or know how to help anyone else to find the way out either!

We are God’s children and He desires for our lives to be filled with grace, hope, faith and love.  You can’t have grace, hope, faith and love and be pessimistic!  With God’s grace, hope, faith and love, you have to live optimistic and positive, because you know that God is doing something, even if you don’t see it and especially if you don’t  understand it!

This week we have been talking about the reality that we are valuable, because God says so!  Let’s wrap this up by reminding ourselves of the obvious:

1.) When You See Yourself As God Sees You, Then You Will Live Positive And Optimistic!  You were created in God’s image and this is no small thing.  God has an amazing plan for your life, even and especially when things don’t look like they are working the way they should.  We have all made mistakes and we are all sinners, but God loves us, will forgive us and head our lives in the direction of blessing, if we will trust Him!

2.) You Were Made In The Image Of God And This Really Gives You Value!  Stop striving for the approval of others.  You most likely will not get it and if you do, you won’t to keep it.  The approval of others will not do for you what you want it to do, at best it is a temporary fix, a hit to get you through the next moment.  Don’t settle for the limited of man, when you were created for the unlimited of God.  Feel good about who God made you to be and get excited about what God allows you to do!  You can base your self-image on what the world says or on what God says – the choice is yours!

3.) The Big Question:  Does The Image I Have Of Myself Line Up With Who God Says I Am?  You are a priceless treasure!  Yes, you make mistakes, but God loves you anyway!  God’s love us based on who we are, not what we do!  You are a work in progress!  Don’t focus on your weakness, instead focus on your God and He will help you overcome your weakness for His glory!

You are valuable!  Believe it!  Live It!  Encourage Others To Do The Same!  You Will Be Glad You Did!

You are valuable!  It’s easy to buy into the message that our world is continually shouting out at us and believe that we are nothing, but this is just not true!  We are something special and this is not just positive self talk, this is reality as God created it to be.  What I am about to share with you is proof positive that you are valuable, that you do matter and that there is an amazing plan and purpose for your life!

Fix Your Self Image!  Because you are valuable, you need to continually be working to fix, grow and strengthen your self-image!  Here are three things you need to remind yourself of continually:

1.)  You Were Made In The Image Of God!  In Genesis 1:27  it says:  “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”  Stop striving for the approval of others and feel good about who God made you to be!  You have a choice to make:  You can base you self-image on what the world says or what God says – your choice and the choice should be obvious – you were created in the image of God!

2.)  You Were Bought At A Great Price!  (God has a plan for your life!)  I Corinthians 6:20 says: “20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies”  I love the way John 3:16 puts it:  “For God so loved the world (put your name here) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever (Put your name here) believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life!”  You are valuable and your value comes from God, not what others think or say!  Psychologist have proven that our mind completes the picture, in other words if you see yourself in a negative way, then you will live a negative life!  See yourself as unqualified, unattractive, inferior and inadequate and you will act in conjunction with your thoughts and be unqualified, unattractive, inferior and inadequate!  See yourself in a positive way and you will have a positive life!  See yourself as qualified, attractive, ready, willing and able and you will act in conjunction with your thoughts and be qualified, attractive, ready, willing and able!  Here is an amazing truth:  We become what we allow our mind to focus on!  (Negative or Positive?)  Focus on the reality that you are valuable because God says so!

3.)  You Are Worth Coming Back For!  In John 14:1-4 we read these amazing words:  “1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”   Jesus is coming to get us and He wants us to be together with HIm!  If that does not make you feel valuable, then I don’t know what will?  2 Corinthians 4:7 says  7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.  Our value is in us and it has been put in us by God our Creator!  My body will one day go in the ground, but my spirit goes on into eternity where there are no tomorrows, only today with the Lord!

Why You Are Valuable:  You are valuable, because God created you in His image, because God paid the ultimate price of His only Son’s life so that you can have relationship and because He is coming back to get you to take you into an amazing future that words cannot even come close to describing!  Find the value in you and in others – you will be glad you did!