Your Worth – February 3, 2020

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
1 Corinthians 1:26

Your Worth

Like me, you’re probably not often asked, “How much are you worth?” Unless you roll with the Bill Gates of the world, your wealth is not wrapped up in your stock portfolio. Instead, it may be no greater than next week’s paycheck. Like Old Man Potter once mused about George Bailey in “It’s A Wonderful Life,” we may even be worth more dead than alive.

The people to whom St. Paul was writing in his letter to the Corinthians were apparently in the same boat. They weren’t worth much in the eyes of the world. They weren’t movers and shakers. They had never gotten—nor could they ever expect—their fifteen minutes of fame. “Not many of you were wise by human standards,” Paul reminded them. “Not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.”

We naturally wish it was different. Regardless of how big our house is, we wonder what it would be like to live as the rich and famous do. Little girls dream about being princesses, and little boys knights in shining armor. We want to be a somebody, but so often we feel like a nobody. We seem to be nothing. Regardless of how much we might have, we still feel worthless.

And that’s only when we’re comparing ourselves to other human beings. Consider comparing yourself to our holy and perfect God! If God is the measuring stick for judging our worth and worthiness, then where does that leave us? Doubly worthless!

If that’s the way you feel about yourself, good. At least you’re being honest about yourself. More than that, though, you’re exactly the kind of person that Jesus chooses to save and bless eternally.

Jesus once told a story about one self-important man who boasted about his worth and another man who couldn’t help but confess his worthlessness before God (Luke 18:9-14). The second man, Jesus concluded, was the one worth imitating. He was the one who was saved from his sins because he was the one who knew he needed saving.

What are you worth to Jesus? Everything!

Prayer:
Jesus, help me understand how much you value me. Amen.