Full Dignity
I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Jeremiah 1:5 (CSB)
Human dignity is part of the foundational truths of creation. God created every human being with great value and worth. He created them with precision and with a purpose. In Jeremiah 1, we find that Jeremiah is reminded of his dignity as the Lord affirms his wonderful created status, his created purpose, and the worth and value of others in the world. The call of Jeremiah reveals that all people hold great value as being created in the image of God.
CREATED WITH DIGNITY
The Lord informed Jeremiah that He formed him in the womb. The message to Jeremiah is that the Lord crafted him with intentional design. As one kid once remarked, “I am important because God doesn’t make junk!” This is the truth behind dignity. God did not create humanity without value or worth. Every individual possesses eternal worth and value. Each person has dignity because they are created by God.
CALL WITH DIGNITY
The prophet Jeremiah was created for a purpose. He was formed in the womb to be a prophet to the nations. He was not just any prophet; the Lord declared him a chosen prophet. The call upon Jeremiah’s life was one of dignity, reflecting the glory of God within him. As the vessel of the Lord, his calling provided the opportunity for him to fulfill his created purpose for the glory of the Lord.
COMMISSION BECAUSE OF HUMAN DIGNITY
Human dignity is not merely about the self. The prophet’s call and creation were intentional, with the purpose of declaring the message of the Lord to others. This act of declaration occurred because the Lord created all people with value and worth. He desired that all would recognize their value, return to Him, and fulfill the purpose of their creation. The commission of Jeremiah reveals to us today that we have been created for a purpose: to represent the Lord to others who also possess great value and worth.
QUESTIONS
How do we allow human ideology to mess up the way we should view others in human dignity?
What has God created you to do? Have you responded to the calling He created you for? Do you see the world as the place you are commissioned to reach?
