Have you ever felt like you were worthless? You know, feeling less than perfect, and in some situations, I bet we’ve all felt the time when we did not feel valuable. To anybody.
Been there. Done that. And I will probably visit that place again!
Gary Smalley stood before a crowd of 10,000 people and held up a crisp $50 bill. I’m going to give this away to someone tonight, he said. Who wants it? Well, imagine that every hand went high! Then he crumpled it so it looked nothing like it did before. Anyone still want it? All hands stayed high. Then he threw it on the ground and stomped and grinded it under his foot. Well, is there anyone who wants it now? Hands still raised the roof.
You just learned something. The value of a $50 bill is not reduced by how it looks, acts or smells. Put it through the wringer of anything you can imagine, and it’s still worth $50.
And I wonder. Are you and I any different?
Face this challenge with me today. Repeat it after me.
“I am a Somebody! I am not worthless!”
Now. Take ownership of it!
Are We Any Different
With ourselves it’s one thing, but what about when it comes to others? Just because someone has a bad hair day, or a melt down, or even seemingly goes off the deep end – this doesn’t mean they have lost any value.
The shoe is now officially on the other foot. What do you think? Do we see others as valuable as we like to see ourselves?
This modern world likes to project the value of every person, except in certain areas of personal choice, and then it turns a blind eye to the life being wasted.
Early this morning I read an article about a favored NFL player from my area who went through a horrible night. Suddenly, his secret is out and we can only imagine what his life is like. Does this diminish his skills? No. Do we lessen him because of the story? Maybe. In our view of his worth, he does not measure up to that image we thought him to own.
Well. There are many others who think just like that about you. And me. And everyone else around us.
Pity party, anyone?
Our Lament
We all lament our lot in life. Sometimes we live in our sadness, sorrow and feeling all alone. Nobody likes me, everybody hates me…kind of a sad existence.
Max Lucado was sharing that even the Bible has a book called “Lamentations”. It’s only 5 chapters, so it’s a fairly quick read. Go ahead. Check it out. If you read and think about it you will see the comparison between it and the book of Jeremiah. Both written by the prophet of the same name. You know. The Weeping Prophet.
In Lamentations, he is bemoaning his nations value and his own personal lament of being forgotten by God.
But then… one of our favorite songs of all times comes lilting out of this one scripture midway through. The prophet writes:
“This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:21-23 (KJV)
Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me
In the midst of his sorrow he recalls this truth. God is faithful to everyone of us! His mercies fail not. They are fresh every morning!
It’s a new day!
How Will You Spend This New Day?
There is a quote I heard just last week that has stuck with me.
“God has a tendency of picking up a nobody, to be a somebody, in front of everybody, without consulting anybody.” ~Unknown
This is what most of us need to hear. God can, and often, uses who he chooses without ever asking for anyone’s permission or thought.
Who would have thunk?!!?
I mean, he choose the harlot, Rahab, to be the voice to the spies who were checking out Jericho. What’s so special about that? Well, nearly 2,000 years later we find she makes it into the genealogy of Jesus! (Matthew 1:5 – Rachab) Her past is no more. Her lineage produced the pathway to the Messiah! She’s in the Heroes of Faith Chapter (Hebrews 11:31)
Listen. He pulled David out of the field, a young shepherd boy with older brothers who looked the part better. But God chose him to be the next King of Israel. Why? David was a man after God’s own heart. (Acts 13:22) Even in all his imperfections, and they get paraded through the scripture for everyone to see, there was something pure at the heart of the man.
Your Possibility…Becomes your Potentiality
What’s your possibility in this scenario? Hmmm. I wonder.
Back in the day, my parents owned The Pentecostal Bookstore. Bill Gaither introduced a production designed to be performed by kids. I still have that cassette in the garage. Somewhere. Listen. I knew every song on this album and they are still coming alive in my brain all the time!
One song was talking about the potentiality of children. Especially when they faced opposition. First, someone tells the kid the secret of “being”, then the kid takes ownership and personalizes the message.
I am a promise, I am a possibility,
I am a promise with a capital “p”.
I am a great big bundle of potentiality, and I am learning to hear God’s voice and I am tryin’ to make the right choices.
I’m a promise to be anything God wants me to be
Here’s My Thought Today
It’s amazing the things and people we value. The cost of life is so cheap, even though the medical system may place a value to each life to determine if treatment is worth the life. [Source]
We put high value on our life, while others may think of it as low.
But what does God think?
Jesus expands our logic like this:
“”Aren’t five sparrows sold for two cents?
God doesn’t forget any of them.
Even every hair on your head has been counted.
Don’t be afraid!
You are worth more than many sparrows.”
Luke 12:6-7 (GW)
Perhaps the key is this. Challenge yourself to think differently about yourself. Take Ownership. How? Do not accept anyone’s low value of who you are and accepting their declaration of your worth!
You might have repeated it after I said it earlier. But did you take ownership of it?
Face this challenge with me today. Repeat it after me.
“I am a Somebody!
I am not worthless!”
Now. Take ownership of it!
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