UNDERSTANDING OUR VALUES

 See how much our father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are! (1 John 3:1)

Often, marital love makes the difference between low self-esteem and healthy self-esteem. Love makes a difference in the  way I perceive myself. In reality, of course, all of us are of great value simply because we are made in the image of God.

The apostle John makes it clear that God calls us His children because He loves us so much. The Bible also uses the image of sheep. Psalm 100: 3 says; He made us and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. “In short, we are loved and valued, we belong and we are cared for. That’s a wonderful message for any believer’s self-worth.

But not all of us feel valuable. In marriage, we can be God’s instrument for building our mate self-esteem. The best way to do that is to love our spouse and to communicate God’s truth to him or her. Speaking our spouse’s love language and keeping his or her love tank full also communicate worth. After all, if my spouse loves me, I must be worth something.

Do you know your spouse’s primary love language, what really makes him or her feel loved? Ask God to give you the ability to speak that language well, whether it is physical touch, words of affirmations, quality time, giving of gifts or acts of service. Watch your spouse blossom into the person God intended him or her to be. Love makes a difference.

P R A Y E R

Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing us to call you father! You have adopted us as your children, and you care for us as tenderly as a shepherd cares for sheep. Thank you for valuing us. Please help me as I strive to communicate that value to my spouse through my expression of love.