A friend once gave me a mug as a gift with the words, “God Danced the Day You Were Born.” This gift was meaningful because it came at at time in my life when I was uncertain of my value as a person. The words on the mug were based on the Bible verse, Psalms 139.14 -“I will …. praise You … for the (awe filled) wonder of my birth!”
The world idolizes fame, fortune and beauty. It makes me wonder exactly what makes us valuable? One of the saddest moments in my life, but should have been one of the happiest, was the day I graduated from veterinary school. I thought this accomplishment would make me feel important and valuable. The truth was when the lights were out and there was no one to pretend to, I felt like a nothing and a nobody. The truth was, I was no particular ‘body.’ I came from a blue collar family that did average jobs and lived in an average neighborhood, and we were unnoticed by others for the most part.
As I struggled with the question, ‘was I valuable’, others thought I ‘had everything.’ I was a registered nurse and just graduated as a veterinarian? They looked at me as if I had the whole world. But deep inside, things were not okay. These things did not make me feel like my life was valuable. Then, the answer came to me from God’s Word. The answer is that I am valuable because I am me. Sounds so simple, but I had spent a life time being a ‘human-doing’ to make myself valuable, when I was a ‘human-being’ and was valuable to God because I was His and He made me. Human-doings spend their time frantically trying to make themselves approved, lovable, etc. This is exhausting and I don’t think it really works. Human-beings are just that – being human.
I know many people who feel their lives are meaningless and some feel worthless. This hurts my heart badly because I felt that way at one time and am blessed to have been able to realize and accept that my Heavenly Father values me above anything monetary on this planet. I am more valuable to Him than all the homes, cars, boats, treasures collected, or anything in this world. He finds me and you HIS most precious possession. (Exodus 19.5)
It matters what we think of ourselves. If we feel our lives are worthless and others’ lives are worthless, then we act like it and do self-destructive things or things to hurt others. These only further lead to feelings of worthlessness and it is a vicious cycle. We need to get off the hamster wheel and believe what God has said about us. He loves our brown eyes, blue eyes, curly hair, strait hair, short stature, chubby physique, our sense of humor, and whatever else makes us, us. He danced the day you and I were born. He was there and excited to welcome us to life. He finds us valuable. We do not have to DO anything, all we have to do is BE us.
Yes, I believe we do things as Christians in response to the great Love we have received in Jesus, but that is not where our value is, it is just in being us.
My prayer today is for all to know how special and valuable they are.
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