From God comes…
From God comes value. In other words, we are valuable in God’s sight.
In the eyes of the world, we aren’t worth much. Constant media messages convince us we don’t measure up. We aren’t good enough. We aren’t rich enough. We aren’t successful enough. We aren’t smart enough. We aren’t thin enough. Sometimes we feel like we have the word LOSER stamped on our forehead for all to see.
In addition, many feel unloved and worse than that— they feel unlovable. Perhaps they were constantly criticized or ignored as children. Perhaps they were rejected and told they would not amount to anything. Perhaps they were teased and ridiculed for things beyond their control. Perhaps they made some bad choices which only reinforced their belief that they truly were not worth anything and certainly not worthy of anyone’s love.
Yet, love has a lot to do with how we live our lives. Sigmund Freud once said, “Love is the first requirement for mental health.” Victor Hugo said, “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.”
Here’s some good news! God loves us! While it’s true we may not seem valuable to the world, we are valuable to God. God loves us more than we could ever imagine. He doesn’t love us because we have a great personality, are flawlessly beautiful, like to laugh, or extend kindness to others. God loves us unconditionally. He loves us when we are good. He loves us when we are bad. (Ephesians 2:4-5) We don’t need to earn His love. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
God loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die for us. (John 3:16) Jesus laid down His life for us and He did it while we were sinners. (1 John 3:16; Romans 5:8) God’s love is unwavering. It’s there if we want it. It’s there when we need it. It’s wide and deep and high. (Ephesians 17-19) Nothing can separate us from God’s love. (Romans 8:35-39)
Knowing we are loved can change our whole outlook on life. Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the song, Love Changes Everything. Although it’s written from a physical perspective, the concept is true. Love can change how we live and how we die. Once we embrace God’s love and see ourselves as God sees us, our motives and attitudes change.
Our self-worth should not come from those around us or a fickle society. It should come from God. Our value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see our worth. God calls us His children. (1 John 3:1) He sees us as a masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10 NLT) In God’s eyes, we are a valuable work of art. And why not? Jesus living in us gives our life great value. (Galatians 2:20)
“Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God…”
~James 1:17 (NLT)
