Self-worth and Control

"Like clay in the hand of the potter, so you are in my hand." - Jeremiah 18:6

I realize that the illustration of God as the "Master Potter" gets used a lot and is even a bit self-explanatory, but it's still a valid point if only because God himself paints this picture for us. Bear with me, would ya?

The Bible tells us that we are clay in the hands of THE Artist. We're not just subject to some random artist, but the very One who created the universe. Can you sit on that concept for a minute?

The One who put the stars in their place, who hung the galaxies, and created this beautiful world that functions because of the tiniest details with only His spoken words, is, with His very hands, crafting YOU into a masterpiece.

You are not nothing. You are not an accident. You are not worthless. 

I have never met a person who has not struggled with control and/or value. We want to be in control because then we have less chance of getting hurt (that's the argument). The truth is that we are NEVER in control...no matter what we think. Life changes in a heartbeat and there's nothing we can do but respond to those changes....
And for some strange reason, we learn from a very young age that our value comes from a source outside of ourselves. So we strive, we work, we please, we embarrass, we belittle, we hide. We find ways to prove our worth to those around us or to hide our lack of worth from those around us. 

So the crux of our struggles in life generally always come to these two points: control and value. Simple right? The answer to the struggle is even simpler: "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so you are in My hand."

You have never had and never will have control. But the One who has control is good and trustworthy. Let go and rest in His hands.
And your value doesn't come from mom, dad, boy/girlfriend, friends, boss or archenemy. The value you were born with, and still hold today, comes from the very One who created you with His own hands. Let Him mold and shape you into the masterpiece He's planned.

I don't have much to brag about. I'm nothing special. In fact, I'm the one trying to hide from the spotlight so as not to be seen and therefore, not to disappoint. But this one thing I have learned is worth bragging about:
No one else will ever love me as well as He does. No one else could ever do me better than He will. And no one else will ever see me as the precious jewel that He created me to be. Therefore, no one else will ever matter as much in my life as Him.