Seeing Value in a Different Light
Value - What do you value? What is important to you? What gets shoved to the front of your priority list if it is in need, threatened, challenged, or injured? What can you easily live without, and what throws you into disarray or despair if it is away, for but a moment? What will cause you to expend whatever is necessary or required in order to have what you value most; to save it, possess it, own it, maintain it, treasure it, keep it close?
You - How do you see yourself in the light of value? Do you feel loved, cared for, prized, honored, worthy, valued? Why do you feel the way you do? Who had a hand in crafting that self-image? Was it someone from the distant past, or a seemingly endless string of either life-breathers or myopic joy-stealers, speaking defeat and cynicism into your life?
Him - What about God? Does He have a say? Has He already spoken? He has weighed into the conversation, but what have you heard? Can it be that a value assessment is in order?
Worth - How much is an object worth? How many times have we heard of a yard sale item has no worth to the present possessor, so it’s placed on a rickety card table with a $ amount/OBO tag on it. Passed up all day, finally a discerning eye grabs it, breaks out the cash, has it appraised by an expert, then places it on EBay, properly displayed and labeled, where a bidding war ensues, driving the price into six figures. Something is truly only worth what someone is willing to pay for it.
Cost - God sees value in us which may not be clear to the average bystander, even if that bystander is the present proprietor, i.e., ourselves. He displays that love in that while we were yet sinners, He paid for that sin with the blood of His only Son. This elevates our worth instantaneously, because of what it cost Christ to redeem us.
Love - He loves us. He paid the cost to get us back. This affirms our worth, to Him. You have value. This is biblical. It is reasonable. It is true. So, armed with this truth, what are you going to do about it? May you never, ever buy into the lie that you are unlovable, unworthy, of no value! You see, you have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:20, 7:23). That’s why He loves you. God believes you are worth it!
