“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.” Deuteronomy 7:6
The sense of belonging and approval are the two most important feelings that drive a person’s childhood and eventually how they perceive a lot of things when they grow up.
Ever noticed how children do cute things to get their parent’s approval, like jumping around, drawing, getting good marks, and more, to get their full attention? If the child is not given that attention, they will grow up seeking it elsewhere. This happens to adults too. When we work on an important project, like cooking a special dish for our loved ones, we want to be appreciated, and we seek approval from people. When we don’t get it, we feel let down, and it has an impact on how we respond to such matters.
Coming to the good news, whatever we do, our God loves us and gives us full attention. He chooses us at our worst and best. We are His special treasure above all the people on the face of the earth. There is an important lesson for God’s children here: relying on anyone to give us approval, to choose, and to feel validated will crumble the foundation of self-identity. Because people change, their opinions and preferences change with time. But God never changes. His love for us is unconditional throughout and beyond (Matthew 28:20), “and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.“
