Dignity

This morning as I sat in our shop feeling a little lost at where to begin in the (seemingly) mountainous pile of todos, I decided to flip to a Pslam to direct my thoughts. Today is the 8th so, like any good christian, I flipped to Psalm 8. This Pslam is titled (per my HCSB translation),"God's Glory, Man's Dignity". As I read through this Pslam I was struck, once again, by the stark contrast of who I believe our Lord to be and who he actually is. God has crowned us with glory and honor, and yet I consistently choose to believe that such a statement could never be true. I belittle myself throughout the day until the truth that God himself has proclaimed about me, is hidden beneath a thick layer of lies. 

And God KNOWS this about us. He knows we are quick to rip off the crown we have been given in exchange for dirty rags. That's why this truth is recorded here. But if simply saying we're worthy isn't enough, He tells us WHY we can believe this. 

"Yahweh, our Lord

how magnificent is

your name

throughout the earth!

You have established

a stronghold from the mouths of children

and nursing infants to silence the enemy

and the avenger" 

The Lord reminds us, that we have no reason to doubt what he has proclaimed about us. His name is magnificent and he has established a stronghold on earth. He is the creator of the world and therefor he has every right to tell us who he has created us to be. If the Lord says we are crowned with glory and honor, then we better believe it! There is nothing organic about us that makes us worthy of His honor, it is only through his spoken word that we receive glory. 

Reading this passage reminds me of two things: 

1) My posture today and everyday must be gratefulness and thankfulness to the Lord. But even more than that, I must be in awe of Him who is so generous with his people.

"What is man that you remember him? The son of man that you look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor" 

Who am I to receive these words? Yet also, who am I to forget who He has called me to be? 

2) There are still so many people out there who do not know their worth. All who are claimed by Christ are instantly glorified. The women we work with in Zambia know, more than many of us, what it is to feel unworthy and undignified. Many of these ladies work tirelessly day after day in the dirt on their knees for a wage that only confirms what they believe to be their value. Only God can restore this twisted lie. Only He can restore to them the dignity that has slowly been wiped away. 

At RecycloCraftz we seek to empower our women. However, we know that this is not done simply by giving them a job. While that is important, at the end of the day a job, a career, a family, a passion; none of these will re-store to them the honor which has been lost. Jesus Christ came and died for them, the Son of God came down from heaven and died to remind them who they are and where their value comes from. That is the hope we seek to share with them and any who stumble across our organization. 

Be reminded today that if you know God and have given your life over to His Son, you are worthy of honor. God himself has restored that to you. And if you don't know God, I know you feel the void, the shame, and the dishonor that comes with being human. I hope you fill that void with the only one who can. 

To find out more about RecycloCraftz, visit our website: www.recyclocraftz.org