True Value

I recently ran across the story below and felt I had to share it. A well-known speaker started off his seminar holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."  He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill. He then asked, "Who still wants it...?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times we may feel dropped, crumpled and ground into dirt by others or even by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. How often do we devalue ourselves because of past hurt? Not only that but how often do we devalue others? At times you may feel as though you are worthless, but no matter what has happened in your past in God’s eyes you never lose your value. Do you know your life is very valuable? God loved and valued us so much that He was willing to pay a very steep price to ensure we have an opportunity to receive His most precious gift, eternal life.

The Bible says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Webster’s definition of perish is to become destroyed or ruined. This lets us know that God had us in mind when He wrapped Himself in flesh and died on the cross for our sins.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, we are all still priceless to those who DO LOVE us, especially the Lord. The worth of our lives comes not only in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. So who are we supposed to be? Well if God loved us enough to die I believe the least we can do is return the favor. Luke 10:27 says, “So he answered and said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind,’ and your neighbor as yourself.” It’s simple our true value lies within our relationship with the One who created us and know our worth more than anyone else ever could. So let’s love God, love ourselves and love our neighbors, the world will be a much better place if we do.

Think about it.