For years I believed that I did not matter. And I was convinced that nothing I could ever do would change that. In my mind I was a nothing, and a nobody, end of story. That, my friend, is hopelessness.

But I was wrong. God values all His children, and that includes me. It includes you.

I found this to be true when I got my eyes off myself and onto the One who knew me before I was born. God cannot lie—a simple truth, right? Yet that one simple truth is profound when we realize that we are all a statement of God’s perfect will. You are, in fact, designed to shine the light of God’s love in the Earth.

All truth originates in God. The Lord Himself is Truth and light. Anything He does and anything He creates is made in light, not in darkness. That’s God’s way of doing things. We can see this divine pattern working in the early chapters of Genesis, which documents the story of creation. Things get interesting fast when God brings forth a creature much like Himself:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.—Genesis 1:27 

Mankind was created in the image of God (both men and women). That includes all of mankind, for as long as children are born. If there are seven million people on the Earth today, there are seven million living people who are made in the image of God. There are no exceptions; every person ever born is created in the image of God. 

What this means is profoundly expansive and far too comprehensive to do justice to the subject here. But I do believe we can conclude that God makes each person as an individual with a unique purpose, or destiny, in mind. Everyone has a part to play in the ultimate assignment of mankind, which is to expand the Kingdom of God onto the Earth. God needs all kinds of people to do that, so if you feel you’re a little different, congratulations—you are! Each person is graced with particular gifts, talents, and abilities which enable them to contribute to the family, the community, and the church, to help further the Kingdom of God on the Earth. (1Peter 4:10)  

There are three things I know about you.  These are characteristics which God has bestowed upon all people.  

1)  You are a creator.

     God Himself is a creative Being. We, as His children made in His image, are creative beings as well.

2) You are a visionary.

     If you are a creator, you have the ability to visualize.  Visualization is key to creativity.  

3)  You have a purpose.

     God uses vision to ordain divine purpose in humans.

The same God who created the universe also designed you, and He did so for a particular reason. Starting at the end of your story, looking forward with the foresight that only God can possess, He studied the needs of His Kingdom. What will I need here? What kind of person do I need to do this job? What kind of abilities and talents and gifts will he/she need to accomplish the mission?

Your personal truth is all about who you are according to God’s view—according to His purpose, His will. And bear in mind, that is who you really are. You may have varying opinions of yourself throughout the course of your lifetime, and other people may have plenty to say about you too. But God’s view of you is the only view that matters. End of story. Ever.  

The problem is not in the way God sees us. And the problem is not really in the way others see us, either—but rather, the problem is in the way we see ourselves. Vast numbers of people live their lives dragging around a depreciated sense of self-worth initiated in their early years. Through abuse, neglect, or adverse childhood conditions, a child’s self-perception can be distorted into a reduced version of the original. By the time they reach adulthood they think it’s normal. Depression, anger, and dysfunction typically follow these grown-up kids.

The effects of a confused self-image is not what God intended for His people. Jesus said that He came to set at liberty those who are oppressed. (Luke 4:18) So if you’re weighed down by a heaviness which you cannot explain… if you suffer from a damaged self-worth, self-contempt, anger issues, or depression… if you are absolutely certain that you don’t matter, that you deserve the abuse, or that you’re supposed to be a doormat for others… then stop and reconsider the words of Jesus. You can have faith that the Lord wants you to be free from oppression!  

The Creator of the universe established your intrinsic value when He made you. Who is there to argue with that? He created you and designed you to be a force of light and love on the Earth, and there is not another person like you anywhere. You have a divine purpose on your life, a reason for being which was established by Heaven itself. You need to be free from the oppression because you have a lot to do.  

Everything about you is important to God. Yes, you matter! And because of that, your freedom matters.