Hey, carpool crew. I'm Pastor Justin and I'm so glad you're here. This month we will be talking all about thankfulness, that it's not just for a day. It's actually something we do every day and should do every day, all year long. Today we're talking about something we sometimes forget to thank God for. Ourselves. That might sound a little funny, right? But think about it. God made you, he gave you your laugh, your voice, your mind, your talents, and even the way you see the world. When we thank God for how he made us, we're not just being proud or prideful or full of ourselves. We're being grateful. Here's what it says in Ephesians chapter two, verse 10, and I love this verse. This is a verse to memorize. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to remind the church in Ephesus, the believers who are there, the Christians, who they are in Jesus, not just what they do, but who they belong to. He used a really cool word, workmanship. In the original Greek, it means handcrafted artwork. You are a custom creation, designed with love and purpose by God. How cool is that? When God made you, he didn't rush. He didn't say, oops, that's not quite right. Well, we'll let it go anyway. He made you exactly the way he wanted, on purpose, and he already had good things planned for your life. If Jesus were riding with you right now or sitting at the breakfast table, I think he'd say, you don't have to wish you were someone else. I made you exactly how I want you. You are my handcrafted masterpiece and I'm not finished shaping you yet. There's a lot more for you to do. Now, let's say you're making something in art class, a clay, a drawing, some kind of art project for school, the kind of thing you're gonna bring home to mom and dad and show them with a big smile on your face. You work really hard on it, but you mess up a few times. Now you fix it, you make it your own, and when you finish, it's not perfect, but it's yours. You step back, you smile and say, I made that and it's exactly how I want it. That's what God does with us. He looks at you even on your worst day, even on the day that you make mistakes, even on the day that you do something or say something you wish you could take back. He looks at you and says, that's my masterpiece, my handcrafted masterpiece artwork. I made you with love and you're exactly the way I want you. So when you wake up, look in the mirror or face a tough moment today, you can quietly say to yourself, thank you, God, for making me exactly how you want me. So what are some things that you can do to live this kind of thankfulness out today? First, say kind things about yourself. God doesn't make mistakes, so be gentle with the person he made. Don't say mean things about yourself or criticize yourself. You are made wonderfully. Second, use your gifts to bless others. Maybe you're funny, kind, athletic, artistic, brave, whatever your gifts, use it for good. You were made on purpose. You were made with a purpose, and you were made by a loving God. So today, be thankful for how he made you, because when you see the good in yourself, you are really seeing the goodness of God who made you. Remember, no matter where you are or how you're listening, God loves you. And parents, if you love today's episode, don't forget there's more episodes you could get. Weekend episodes, the new Goodnight Psalms, our bedtime devotional, and the brand new carpooling with heroes of the Bible that's live right now. Just subscribe over on Apple Podcast to get it all. Now, before you go, let's answer this question together. What's one thing you're thankful for about how God made you? I'll see you tomorrow on carpooling with Jesus.
