Once upon a time there was you …

One of my favorite stories as a child was “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

I have no idea why.

Perhaps it was the drama of Goldilocks being in the home of the three bears, who could return unannounced at any moment. What would happen if the bears caught her, uninvited, in their home?

You know how the story goes. Golidlocks tastes from the three different bowls of porridge sitting out on the dinner table. One was too hot, another too cold, finally one was just right.

She then meanders into the living room where she checks out the chairs. One was too high, another was too wide, finally one was just right.

Goldilocks then makes her way upstairs where she scopes out the beds. One was too hard, another was too soft, finally one was just right — a little too right. The last bed was so comfortable, Goldilocks curls up and falls asleep.

You know the rest of the story.

The three bears return home and soon discover Goldilocks fast asleep in Baby Bear’s bed. Upon being awakened, the terrified Goldilocks dashes out of the house as fast as she can!

One thing Goldilocks was good at was finding what fit her well. Whether it was porridge, a chair, or a bed, she didn’t settle for what wasn’t a fit. If only we were a little more like Goldilocks in that regard!

We often don’t get the “right fit” of ourselves.

It’s not uncommon for us to think too highly of ourselves, a problem the Apostle Paul warned us against:

“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us,” Romans 12:3.

When we aren’t thinking too highly of ourselves, it can be easy to swing too far in the other direction and not see the value God has placed on us. We finally get the “right fit” of ourselves when we come to understand how God sees and values us.

“This is real love — not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins,” 1 John 4:10.

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding,” Ephesians 1:4-8.

When we see how God loves and values us, we are diverted from pride or self-loathing to the position that fits — humble and grateful children of God.

Do you think too highly of yourself? Too lowly? How does God see and value you?

Scotty