We might not agree on the value of some things. Some people make minimum wage while others
make a pile of money. One shirt from a
store cost a few dollars and another costs $100 or more. There doesn’t seem to be a reason for the
differences.
The way something is made makes a difference in its value as
does the rarity of the materials it is made of.
A person who much experience or a great deal of education will have more
value in the work they do than someone with little experience or no education. That seems to make a lot of sense.
You’ve heard this phrase before: one man’s trash is another
man’s treasure. And another phrase:
beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In
other words we are the ones that set the value of the items we hold and the
people around us.
I intend to make one strong statement to share with each of
you today. It is this: God is the one
that determines value! God and no one
else determines your value.
Matthew 6:20 NLT
Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not
break in and steal.
Our culture and times dictate that people are not a commodity
to be bought and sold. Slavery doesn’t
happen any more. Or does it? Look up ‘human trafficking’ and you will read
about adults and children being sold as slaves in the sex industry or children
working in the sweatshops of 3rd world countries. But the fact is those same things happen
right in your town and mine.
We treat people based on the value we give them. Our church is passionate about helping broken
people. That means people that are often
rejected by most find their way to our church, and there we strive to offer
forgiveness and share hope. Yet in the
middle of sharing the hope that can only come from God I realize that often I
devalue people. That fact hurts me
deeply. God values people. I should value every person too.
On the other side of the proverbial coin is the fact that we
often devalue ourselves. Maybe someone
told you at some point that you are worthless or ugly. That is not true. Why believe it? Maybe you are wasting your time by not
looking for work or settling for less than best. You were made by God and are loved by God. You have value. Look at the experience you have or the
education you have achieved. That also
gives you value.
As Christians we should strive to give our best, to share
Christ and to be great at all we do. Be
honest. Set goal and push for them. Build up people and give them value in the
way you speak to and deal with all people.
Whether it’s the people around you or yourself, whether it’s
your possessions or the world around you, give all of those the value that God
created them to have!
Luke 18:22 NLT
When Jesus
heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all
your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
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