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

Personal check-up: When you look in the mirror, are you pleased with the reflection looking back at you, or are you disappointed and dissatisfied with the reflection? How do you like your looks? How do you like your talents? How do you like your abilities? Would you like to look different? Would you like to be able to do some of the things that you see others doing? Are you pleased with the skills you have, and the things you can do? Just how well do you like yourself?

The verse quoted above asserts that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. At the moment of conception, the DNA map of my life was instantly set. My map determined my color of eyes, my color of hair, my body build, my sex, my likes and dislikes, my talents and skills, my gifts, my personality, and on and on. In essence, my entire being was mapped out at that precise moment.

And the psalmist states that it was a result of being fearfully and wonderfully made by the Maker of all – God. And God does not make mistakes, nor does He make junk. He created you to be you – a unique human being made in His image.

But if you’re like most humans, there are probably some things about yourself that you would change if you had the ability to do so. Now, granted, some things are changeable. Hair color can be changed. Eye color, with the help of colored contacts, can be changed. Appearance can be changed in other ways by gaining or losing weight, shaving your head, growing a beard, etc. There are things we can do to change our appearance.

And then, there are things we can do to learn new skills. Some skills and abilities seem to come naturally and tend to bring a great sense of satisfaction in life because we are doing the things that we were designed to do. But, we can learn skills that enable us to do things that we were not necessarily designed to do – they were not part of our original map. We can do those things, again, because we are fearfully and wonderfully made with the ability to learn and grow and develop.

So, what’s the point? If we can change some things about ourselves, and if we can change our appearance, and if we can learn new skills, then why is it significant that we understand and grasp the concept of being fearfully and wonderfully made? Simple: to grasp this important fact enables us to look in that mirror and appreciate what we see. It helps us to be more appreciative for who we are and what we can do, realizing that this is a direct result of our DNA map that was given to us at the very moment we were conceived in our mother’s womb. Fearfully and wonderfully made!

Let me close with a personal reflection. I have always battled insecurity and a lack of confidence. I have also always disliked my appearance and some features of my physical anatomy. I have often stood looking in the mirror, wishing that I could change some of those things that I dislike about myself. This has been a lifelong struggle for me. But when I take time to stop and remind myself that I am who I am, and I can do the things I do, because of the handiwork of God Himself, it heightens my appreciation for the fact that I am, truly, fearfully and wonderfully made. This should cause me to rejoice in the person I am. My life is a gift from God. Now, what I do with it is my gift to Him.

Let’s be quick to thank Him for this unbelievable gift, and show our appreciation by giving our life back to Him.

Until next time:

Blessings!