‘I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness.’ Isaiah 61:10 (NIV).
God asks us to cease judging and evaluating ourselves (Luke 6:37) and to stop comparing ourselves with others (2 Corinthians 10:12). These behaviors produce feelings of pride or inferiority, sometimes a mix of both.
God leads each of His people along a path that is uniquely designed for us. So comparing or criticizing ourselves with others will only result in pride if we see ourselves as better than someone else or discouragement if we see ourselves as less valuable than someone else. Such behavior is not only wrong, it is meaningless.
We must not look for affirmation or validation from other people or even ourselves. The right place is finding our validation and worth in Christ alone. We find our value in His unconditional love.
God says to each of us today that He has clothed us with garments of salvation and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness. He is not an unpleasant judge, angrily searching for our faults and failures. Christ died for our sins so that we might be clothed in beautiful garments. God sees us adorned radiantly in His robe of righteousness and salvation. We are glorious in His sight.
Prayer:
‘Heavenly Father, renew my vision to see myself as you do. Thank you for your glorious work Jesus that means I am now a child of God, clothed with salvation and righteousness.’
In Jesus’ Mighty Name,
AMEN!
Final Thoughts:
And when God does discipline us, it is never in anger or disgust. It is never with criticism. It is to prepare us for our wondrous face-to-face fellowship with Him throughout eternity. So robed in our new clothes, we have become God’s adoring bride and are being made ready to meet our Maker.
How do we see ourselves today? Can we begin to visualize ourselves robed in our garments of salvation and righteousness? Or are we still full of self-criticism, doubt, envy or pride? Can we listen again to the loving voice of our Father who invites us to see who we really are through His eyes?
Be Greatly Blessed!
