As I spend this week in Georgia with our youth I have been reflecting on the theme of the conference which centers around identity.  The students have been doing a great job on teaching from various texts which remind us that our identity is not in what we accomplish or don’t.  It’s not found in our successes or failures.  We cannot be defined by our looks, brains, or any of that.  Our identity comes not from who the world may say that we are but from whose we are.  Our identity is found in Christ alone.  There is one particular scripture that they haven’t hit just yet that I wanted to address today.  Let’s look at I Peter 2 together today. 

 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

The words and phrases that Peter uses here all reflect the same truth.  We are special and set apart because God says that we are.  Chosen, royal, holy, and special are all adjectives that have significant impact.  Any one of those alone would make us feel that we are special to God, but Peter makes a point of using all of those in this quick two verse passage.  Perhaps it is because of how special Jesus made Peter feel during their time together but Peter really wants us all to know just how much we matter to God.  Today take some time and reflect on the fact that to God you are chosen, royal, holy, and special.  You may feel sometimes like you don’t measure up but to God you are perfect just as He created you! 

In His Grip,
Pastor Dave