I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. Psalm 139:14 (NKJV)
There is a lone blue heron that visits the lake on the trail I walk. It comes and goes throughout the year. It’s the only one of its kind among the ducks and geese.
The fact that it’s a loner doesn’t stop it from coming to the lake periodically. Sometimes I look at it and feel sorry for it. Does it feel lonely? Maybe it just hangs out at the lake every now and then for nourishment. We seem to be alike, the heron and I—socially awkward. In a crowd of familiar or unfamiliar faces, I sometimes feel as if I don’t belong or I feel lonely. If you invite me to your party, I will come, but I already have my escape mapped out. Sometimes I just don’t know what to say or what to do . . . you know . . . it’s awkward. Maybe I am socially challenged because of my perceptions of myself.
As I mature in Christ, this Scripture gives me comfort, because Jesus assures me that I was made with tender loving care. Not only that, I am a marvelous creation! Therefore, I can hold my head up high in every social situation.
Jesus was unique in that He was the Messiah with human qualities, but He showed confidence in social settings. Jesus had to be approachable to all types of people in order for Him to be influential. We too should allow our confidence in Christ to help us in social situations to reach the lost. Take heart in the knowledge that Jesus already knows all about us, and we are all created uniquely and marvelously and made acceptable in Christ.
Faith Step: If you’re socially awkward, next time you get invited to an event, be prepared by speaking this Scripture repeatedly until you believe it. We are precious in Jesus’s sight, and He wants us to know just how special we are.
