Reminders: What's It Worth?
by Ardith Hoff
A motivational speaker started his presentation by holding up a one- hundred-dollar bill. He asked, “What’s it worth?’ Someone in the front row said, “A hundred dollars if it’s real”. The speaker crumpled the bill, “Now what’s it worth?” “A hundred dollars!” came a chorus of answers.” Then the speaker threw the bill on the floor and started to grind it under his foot. “Is it still worth a hundred dollars?” he asked. Every head nodded. The point he was trying to make is that the bill’s worth did not change because it got a little sullied. He went on to say that a person’s worth does not change either just because we get a little, “crumpled or stepped on”.
When we are put down by others, or feel inadequate to the tasks before us, it is easy to start thinking that we are worthless. We need to remember that we are all God’s children, and that we have been made perfect through Christ’s sacrifice and death for our sins. This does not mean that we will always perform perfectly or that we will keep all of God’s commands. It simply means that God does not love us any less, just because we don’t behave perfectly. It means that he has provided a way for us to retain our value, by sending his Son Jesus to pay the price for our sins. This also does not mean that we should ignore God’s commands, and just do as we please. It means that if we believe that Christ died for us, and confess our sins, he will forgive us, and we will be found blameless before the Lord.
What others think of us, does not determine our worth. What we do or fail to do does not change our worth in the sight of God. Because the price has already been paid for us, we are considered priceless. When we come to understand this, it makes us want to behave better, and try to live up to God’s plans for us. We will never be able to behave perfectly, but with God’s help we can do better, and we can know that we will be happy in His presence forever. Remember, you are priceless in God’s sight!
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28