The wife of the late Christian apologist and best-selling author Nabeel Qureshi has shared what God has been teaching her about knowing and embracing her inherent value in Christ in recent months.
Nabeel Qureshi, a Christian convert from Islam who was diagnosed with stomach cancer last August and died on Sept. 16, launched an online ministry and began producing video blogs following his diagnosis last summer. Since then, his wife, Michelle Qureshi, has kept his ministry going, frequently posting videos in which she discusses Scripture.
In her latest video, Michelle said that over the past year, she's come to "realize and embrace that I'm seen, I'm heard, I'm known, I'm loved, and I'm delighted in."
This belief, rooted in Scripture, makes a "huge difference" in how one lives their life and perceives the world around them, she contended.
"I've come to realize I'm seen," she said, referencing Matthew 10:30, where Jesus says, "And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
"This is when He's talking about people being worth more than many sparrows; sparrows being sold for two pennies, and that the Lord sees even the sparrows, and how much more value is a person than a sparrow?"
Second, Michelle said she believes she's "heard," referencing Psalm 145:18 - "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth," and third, she's come to realize she's "known."
"The whole first half of Psalm 139 is David talking about being known," she said, adding that while that thought may be scary, it's comforting to remember that God, who knows everything, "loves you unconditionally, regardless."
"So that's the very next one, I'm loved by God," she said, pointing to Romans 8:38-39: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Finally, Michelle said she's come to realize she's delighted in by God, referencing Psalm 147:11 - "the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love."
"This concept...was not real to me until very recently," she admitted. "Embracing being seen, heard, known, loved, and delighted in by the God of the universe makes all the difference. The root of insecurities and self-esteem issues really is not understanding or embracing one's value...until it's actually in your heart, it doesn't have that ability to totally transform your life."
"Knowing who you truly are in Christ breeds confidence," she added. "But, it's not a prideful confidence based in...yourself, but it's a humble confidence that based in the perfect, holy, unchanging God - the only one who is worthy of all praise."
Knowing your identity also gives you freedom, Michelle emphasized.
"I've come to realize that in the Christian life, it's less about performing according to certain standards and acting like a 'good Christian.' It's more about stepping into the identity of being a dearly loved and highly favored child of God; listening and learning to listen to his voice, learning to obey, learning love him with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength. That won't necessarily look like what many perceive to be the 'good Christian way' of doing things."
She concluded: "We have this value [because] we are glorious creations of God."
In October, Michelle announced that she plans to continue the ministry that her husband left behind.
"[One] thing that he doesn't have to strive for or work for [anymore] ... is sharing the Gospel because everyone in Heaven is seeing Jesus face-to-face. But then that leaves us here," she said at the time. "We are still here. People still need to hear the Gospel. Ministry still needs to continue."
