I recently read a Facebook post by Aurora Sandberg (who has given me permission to share this; thank you Aurora!). It read: “In May, my kiddo brought home a lone pumpkin seed he found on the floor at school. His teacher said it would never amount to anything and wanted him to throw it away, but he brought it to me and we planted it and put in in the window sill in our kitchen. Now four months later, I’m officially a pumpkin farmer! So fun. This has been such a rewarding experience – I’m going to plant pumpkins every year from here on out.”
The post made me start thinking about worth (and value); our own worth. Too many people struggle with feeling worth much; they feel like that unwanted pumpkin seed, which the teacher thought would never amount to anything. Too many people fail to realize their immense worth to God. I’m not talking about value. Value is malleable and is subject to change. But worth is maintained far more steadily. For example, my brother-in-law used to collect baseball cards and had an extensive collection. He once showed me a card which he valued very much more than me; it was worth several hundred dollars (at that time). So its value was different for each of us, but its worth remained the same. God does value us; also, we are, according to the Bible, worth much in God’s view.
What is your worth to God? You are worth so much that Jesus said, in John 10:18 – “No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily.” Your worth is Jesus’ own life! And your worth never changes. It is rooted – not in what the world says about you, or what opinions people may have about you, but – it is rooted in the unwavering, unchangeable love of God toward you. Your self-worth should be based upon your identity as a child of God. When you base your worth on (and in) Jesus Christ, and not in what the world thinks, then you can possess a sense of self-worth that cannot be shaken or broken; it is based in something deep and unfathomable: the opinion of God!
What is your worth? You are God’s masterpiece. Your life matters to Him. You are valued, precious, and worthy as far as He is concerned. Embrace that today. Allow yourself to accept this truth, and ingest it deeply within your being. Embody it daily. Don’t allow this world to break you down and tear you apart; understand that if you are in Jesus, and He is in you, then you are an awesome, beloved child of the Most High God – and you are worthy because Jesus said so.
Be blessed, my friends. I look forward to our next chat.
~ Chaplain Brian