Pastor’s Corner: “You’re Worth More “
Matthew 10:29-31 (NIV) – 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
The question I want to ask you today is “Do you value yourself?” Do you see that your existence on this planet matters? Sadly, some us say no. The truth is, we’ve all been there at some point. It is usually when things look the bleakest and hope seems to have disappeared. At these times, not only do we feel hopeless and helpless, but we feel worthless as well. And finding any value is very hard. Now what we didn’t realize then, and we may have a tough time believing it now, is that we always have value and worth.
We tend to find our worth and identity by what others speak of us, but what happens when people speak negatively about us? It’s risky to put our value in the hands of another. Your value is not tied to the words spoken of you. You are valued by God. We can get a lot of encouraging messages from people about ourselves, but one message from someone close can ruin it all. How can one negative comment from a loved one hurt us despite all the positive messages we receive from others? We can go from feeling valued and loved to feeling worthless and not good enough in just seconds.
This is what happens when we place our value in the hands of anyone other than God. Many times, we look for validation from those closest to us, but even that is wrong. No one is perfect. We should never place our identity in the hands of imperfect people, including our loved ones. Our identity becomes shaken when we place it in the hands of imperfect people. But when our identity is in the hands of a loving and perfect God, nothing can move us.
Ephesians 2:10 says,” For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Who can put a value on you when the Most High God made you? God calls you His masterpiece. The God of this universe who made this earth calls you His own. When you place your value on what others say about you, you are like a famous painter asking a person who doesn’t even have the skills to paint what his painting is worth. No one is qualified to put a value on God’s creation because no one can compare to His magnificent power. We don’t have the power to create the earth and people, so who are we to put a value on others? No one can place a value on you because God has already placed a value on you. YOU WERE BOUGHT WITH A HIGH PRICE. God sent His son Jesus to die on the cross so that you could be saved and be with Him for eternity. Despite your faults, God still loves you because He made you. Romans 5:8 says, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
Don’t let your mistakes define who you are when God himself isn’t defining you by your mistakes. While you were a sinner, God still loved you and He still loves you now. Live the life God created you to live with the understanding of your value in Jesus. Isaiah 43:4 (AMP) – “Because you are precious in My sight, You are honored and I love you,”
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton