VALUE: Your net worth is immeasurable, even if you can't see it.

Negative self-talk is a killer, rivaling utter conceit in its destructiveness. But we’ve probably all practiced it, even without meaning to do so.

“I’m stupid.”

“I’m too fat (or too skinny).”

“I’m too tall (or too short).

“Nobody likes me.”
“I’m ugly.”

“I wish I were ____________ (fill in the blank).”

“I can’t do it.”

Sometimes we all want to be something we’re not, don’t we? Maybe we’d like to be funnier, more popular, smarter, stronger, wealthier, younger, or more whatever.

I surely do. I find myself pining about wanting to be taller, thinner, more athletic, more musical, more adept at artistic pursuits, and all sorts of other “mores.”

God’s not surprised. But He begs to differ.

A few years ago, a popular slogan among Christians said, “God doesn’t make junk.” That may sound sort of trite, but it’s also true. Can we just say that the divine Creator is pretty skilled at creating?

Look in the mirror. God made that person in His own image. Sure, we don’t fully understand what that means. But it surely means you’re worth plenty to Him.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10, NIV)

This favorite old verse contains at least three important truths about your value to God.

1. You are priceless.

You have God’s own fingerprints all over you. (Take a look at Psalm 139 for a detailed account of this.)

“… we are God’s handiwork …”

2. Your life has a purpose.

Although good works can’t save you (see Ephesians 2:8-9, right before the verse printed above), such deeds definitely have something to do with the reason God made you. He didn’t just slap you together on a whim. He designed you to have meaning, living in touch with Him.

“… created in Christ Jesus to do good works …”

3. Your existence was planned.

It was no accident that you arrived in this world. And even your future is not mere happenstance. Believers love to quote this verse (often out of context).

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

This doesn’t mean things will always go the way we want or hope, but it does point to God’s plan for our lives and how He promises to fulfill His ultimate purpose.

“… which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

You are a person of great value.

God says so. No matter how much you or anyone else likes or dislikes you, treats or mistreats you, God is totally bonkers over you. He adores you. He cherishes you. He could not love you more, and He will not love you less.

And He wants to you to know it.

Preaching to the mirror, let me just take a big gulp of air here and say that complaining about the way we’ve been made sort of smacks of looking at a master craftsman’s work and calling it worthless. It sort of insults the artist’s workmanship. Would you stand in a museum in the presence of a master artist and carp about his or her technique? Can you just imagine such a scene?

• “Hey, Vincent. Your brush strokes are showing on The Starry Night.”
• “Mr. Munch, why did you use so much orange over the Scream guy?”
• “OK, Leonardo. What’s with the strange smile on the Mona Lisa?”
• “C’mon, Coolidge. Seriously? Dogs Playing Poker?” (Sorry, had to.)

Remind me of that, will you, the next time I kick up a pity party about the way God made me? Because I probably will. But God will still love me and call me back on it.

Image/s:

Adapted from public domain photo

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