1 Samuel 15:16-17, Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop!  I’m going to tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”  He said, “Speak.”  Samuel then said, “You may be small in your own sight, but you are head of the tribes of Israel ~ the Lord anointed you, king over Israel!”

Samuel was talking with Saul after Saul had disobeyed God and the people had kept the spoils from the battles with the Amalekites for “sacrifice” to God after God had told them not to, and they also kept King Agag and clearly some of his relatives alive.  We see a descendant of his in the book of Esther ~ Haman, the enemy of the Jews who tried to have all of the Jews exterminated. Saul’s excuse was that he was afraid of the people because they wanted to take the spoil, so he let them, even though Saul had been told not to.  

Too often, we think that our low self-esteem doesn’t affect anyone but ourselves, but the reality is that when we miss seeing ourselves the way God does, we can make poor choices that affect everyone!  Saul was anointed to lead the people but he had kept the old mindset of being “Only a man from Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel; and my family is the least important of all of the families in the tribe of Benjamin.”  (1 Samuel 9:21). Even though he was told who God said he was, he was clinging to who he had always told himself or others had told him he was, and he was missing out on being who God created him to be.  Another thing that really stuck out to me was that King Saul was missing out on a relationship with God that was right in front of him.  He always called God “your God” when he was talking to Samuel.  How sad that satan won that battle with that family because they believed the lie that they were “less than” the other families. 

It isn’t about how much money you have, your looks, your position in society, your family, or anything else; it all boils down to who God created you to be.  Too often, we place way too much importance on what other people think!  Other people don’t know you as God knows you; in fact, you don’t know you as well as He knows you because He created you. They should be more concerned about standing in the way of God doing something great through you instead of what they may think about you.  One day, we will each stand before God and will have to answer Him for why we may have hindered instead of helped. Think of how many times David could have done something to King Saul when he was trying to kill David, but David’s response was always that he wouldn’t lift a hand against God’s anointed.  David also understood that no one but God defined him. His family saw him as just a shepherd boy, but David knew He was called to more, and he pursued God regardless until God brought it all to pass!

Don’t let what anyone says or what maybe they have said, or even what your family has always felt or said about you to keep you from who God says He created you to be!  You could miss out on fulfilling all that God has created you to be.  He has a plan for your life, and He wants to use your story.  Don’t buy the enemy’s lies, satan hates you, instead dig into the Word of God and apply His Word to you and your own life!  God loves you, and He wants to guide you every step of the way.  Choose to believe that He created you with a purpose and He has placed great things within you to accomplish it!  Rise to the challenge and start today, focus on God’s Word and who your creator says you are, so you can become all He created you to be.