Do you ever wake up in the morning and wonder if you matter if you really are more than just a passing speck of life in the universe? Sure, you are important to your family, perhaps to a small circle of friends, but are you truly valuable; do you matter?
We may not say it out loud, but we all tend to think about our worth. We look for value for ourselves in all kinds of things. Some seek physical attractiveness. Some accumulate wealth or symbols of it. Some pursue awards and titles. Some crave to be known. Yet we wonder – ‘do I matter?’ Age comes and beauty fades. Economies fail and wealth disappears. In time another takes our place.
Solomon, a king of Israel, enjoyed it all and yet in his old age he cynically wrote – “I came to hate life because everything done here under the sun is so troubling. Everything is meaningless—like chasing the wind.” (Ecclesiastes 2)
There is a lasting way to find purpose and significance in this world, one that endures time and change, which cannot be stolen or erased. We need not become cynical with time and age if we know what God says about us and our value!
Jesus teaches us that God knows the smallest detail about you and me! He said – “Not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. And you are worth more than a whole flock of sparrows.” (Matthew 10)
The Psalmist says of God. “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” (139)
Yes, we are known, valued, treasured, and made for His love, not just as a group, but each one of us individually.
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, my favorite book of the Bible because of the truth of grace and purpose of which he writes, includes this passage. “God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 2)
In spite of our failures and our frailties, He loves you and me and gifts us with life, valuing us as living examples of His “incredible wealth of grace and kindness.” That’s something worth living for and truly a reason to know that we matter. We are part of the Divine Plan.
I was touched and inspired by the testimony of Jelly Roll, a country artist, at last week’s Grammy awards. He offered a powerful testimony crediting Jesus and his wife for saving him from an awful past of addiction, drug-dealing, and prison. "Jesus is for everybody," he said, asserting faith belongs to the broken, not just the polished. A life once worthless by all accounts was made new by faith and from that loving grace he found, a new value and way of living emerged!
When we accept the grace of God, by faith, we are both humbled and made noble in the same moment. We realize that our worth can never be attained by any effort we make and yet we know that we are “royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. … Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” (1 Peter 2)
Yes, our lives are short, and our earthly accomplishments are soon eclipsed. But, in Christ Jesus, we are of great worth – now and for eternity. Believe it, friend. This truth will change your life. It provides freedom from pride and fear, and it is a reason for joy.
I close with yet another amazing passage from God’s Word, our word for today. BE encouraged, called to higher purpose by the Truth. “See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.” (1 John 3)
Believe it. Live it. Find new joy.
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