When you feel insignificant
(You are special to me!)
Psalms 8:1-9
“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”
Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), a Dutch Impressionist painter, painted several pictures every day and firmly believed that he had the ability to paint well. However, no one bought his paintings.
As a result, he gradually lost confidence in himself and eventually lost the meaning of painting, leading him to give up on life. He felt insignificant because there was no one around him who understood and appreciated him. The song “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)” by Don McLean beautifully captures the life and art of Vincent van Gogh, and the comfort he didn’t receive from the world. It sings of an attempt to understand his pain and genius. Vincent – Starry starry night
In contrast, there is the story of Paul Cézanne (1839-1906), a French Post-Impressionist painter. He would often throw his paintings into the trash because he wasn’t satisfied with them.
The paintings he discarded were like “parts of his life he didn’t want to see,” like “an abandoned ugly duckling.” On such days, he felt self-loathing and worthless, sitting in the corner of his studio for a long time, lost in despair.
However, there was someone who transformed this rejected life, this “ugly duckling,” into a “magnificent swan” admired by all. His wife carefully retrieved the “unfinished dreams” from the trash and placed them on the easel.
Then Cézanne would gaze at the painting for a long time, rediscovering his lost dream and picking up his brush again. This is how he completed works such as “Pastoral Landscape.”
These works, which might have been lost to history, remain immortal masterpieces in the hearts of all thanks to the silent encouragement and love of his wife who recognized their value.
This is how Jesus looks at each and every one of us. He quietly looks at us and says, “You are special to me!”
“I…” He says, “I shed my blood and tore my flesh and was crucified for you; therefore, you are a special being.” The Apostle Paul expresses this as, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works” (Ephesians 2:10).
Psalm 8 has been considered a very famous psalm in church history because, among the 150 psalms, it concisely summarizes the biblical understanding of humanity.
It says that “humans are precious beings created a little lower than God” (verse 5).
Psalm 8:5 “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”
It also says that humans have been entrusted with the authority to rule over all creation by God (verse 6).
Psalm 8:6 “You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.”
That’s how amazing we are. We are not “insignificant beings.” If we feel that way about ourselves, it is a disregard for God who created us and makes the sacrifice of Jesus, who gave His life for us, meaningless.
Dr. Lee Mu-seok, a psychiatrist, met a young man who had attempted suicide while serving as a military doctor. He couldn’t find meaning in his life and had dozens of knife wounds on his stomach from self-harm.
When asked why he kept harming himself, the young man replied that he didn’t know why he should live and felt like he was just floating in the universe, but when he harmed himself, bled, and felt the stinging pain, he felt alive.
Finding one’s identity is crucial to finding meaning in what one does. It can be bestowed upon you. How can you find your identity? My identity is not something I determine myself, but something that is “bestowed upon me.”
When a baby is born, they receive their identity from their parents. However, after puberty, we begin to wander again regarding our identity. We begin to ponder why we should live. This contemplation is the question, “Who am I?”
Ultimately, without encountering God, we fall into endless confusion. We have to study, work, and raise children, but because we don’t find meaning in these difficult tasks, we struggle even while working and in our married lives.
At this time, there is no greater grace than realizing that God is our Creator. The moment we realize, “Ah, I was born for this!” is what we call a “God-moment.”
When we know that God is our Creator and understand His intentions, we can live powerfully, no matter what we do. That’s why David repeatedly sings praises: “O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
Have you recently seen a pitch-black night sky and the Milky Way? When was the last time you gazed at the night sky, marveling at the moon and stars, and felt a sense of awe? The greatest gift that nature gives us is our spiritual sensitivity, our response to God’s creation, His masterpiece.
In that sensitivity, David discovers his own existence. He realizes how precious our existence is and encourages us to live a life of joy in the life given to us, sharing the grace we have received.
Through the words of Psalm 8 and its beautiful melody, I hope you will hear the Lord’s voice saying, “You are my masterpiece, created for good works.”
