Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today – the value, the worth, of a thing, especially when that thing is me, is so important. We discard things of little worth and prize things of great value. So what is my value?
Luke 12:6-7 TPT
[6-7] “What is the value of your soul to God? Could your worth be defined by an amount of money? God doesn’t abandon or forget even the small sparrow he has made. How then could he forget or abandon you? What about the seemingly minor issues of your life? Do they matter to God? Of course they do! So you never need to worry, for you are more valuable to God than anything else in this world.
Observation
Do I hold, have, any value? What is the measure of my value, and worth? It seems the measures of the world in the worth and value stakes would declare – “you of little worth.” But then it’s all against who I measure myself. Money, position, education, friends, and likes, so often are given the commanding voice in the worth stakes. So I compete and compare to get my worthy stakes up. And based on their harsh declarations and judgements so many of us desperately ask the question “Am I worth anything? Do I matter? Would anybody care if I wasn’t here?” Some of us have left the playing field altogether, accepting “worthless” as our life label, removing ourselves from the pursuit of life, and often hiding out in our addictions, our brokenness, our reasons, and blame, why I can no longer play the game.
My worth affects my mental health so deeply and reflects in the way I walk out my story of life.
What if we are just looking for value in the wrong things? What a statement of worth is made over every one of us – “You are more valuable to God than anything else in this world.” Can I hear that? Does not that statement, if accepted as true for me, change everything? The one who creates and holds the universe in all its tension of existence declares the greatest value over me. I’m of high value and worth, she declares so. This changes everything. I stop the search and rest in her declaration. I declare to myself – “I am a person of great value.” Is there a greater voice in the universe that could stand in your corner and make a declaration of worth? But here is the challenge – accept her declaration and shape my life in its fullness. Is it that simple? Can walking in this declaration really heal my mind, put money and possession in their place, silence social media, blow the final whistle on the compete and compare game, and make my awards and achievements a pleasure of life’s journey not trophies of my worth? Is it possible that in God’s statement, I am made new and life is set on a secure axis that I can stand the turns of life’s journey?
Here’s what happens – “So you never need to worry.” Imagine a world, imagine your life, where there is no worry! We all know worry adds nothing to my life, but so many of us invest so much of us in its deadly assertions. God cares for you deeply, she is engaged in the details of your life and ascribes great worth and value to you. Again, does this silence worry if accepted as shaping truth? It’s not your mind that needs to be renewed only, more importantly, it’s your heart. When I spend intimate time in the presence of the one who declares my worth and value, then my heart hears and shapes me in a deep way that intellect can not achieve. I declare it, I receive it as shaping truth in my mind, but it’s when my heart encounters intimately, personally, what my head declares, then I am reshaped and life is set right. You see my heart has chosen and valued, and loved stories that are false, more than my love of the truth declared by God. And it’s an issue of misplaced love that is only healed in the heart, in the encounter of her love and worth over me. This is when my mind becomes fully awakened and healed. Faith declares to my mind, experienced encounters speak to my heart.
Application
Listen intimately in the presence of the one who declares – “you are more valuable to God than anything else in this world.” Make worry in the issues of life submit to the shaping declaration of her worth over me. Stop playing the world’s games that only injure and destroy, and close the discussion once and for all, – I am one of great value, she says so!
Response
Thank you that you bring my life into order for fullness. Thank you that you don’t demand my performance but rather my acceptance of your declarations over me, they reshape everything. Thank you that you place such value upon me, undeserved, unearned and therefore not fragile, value. Thank you for the foundation upon which I can live an abundant life. I love the life you invite me into, it’s amazing.
Meditation
Meditate – you are more valuable to God than anything else in this world.
Consider:
Is this your story, your declaration?
What are you leaning upon as your story of worth and value?
JOURNEY DEEPER
