Value
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.” (1 Peter 1:18-19 NLT)
Performance, possessions, and popularity – Does that sound like a miserable flashback to high school or what? If only that trio faded into ancient history like SAT scores. It seems though we have a natural tendency to believe these equate our value far into adulthood. Even Jesus was tempted to prove himself in these key areas.
As we read the temptation of Jesus, we see he was first taunted to “command these stones to become loaves of bread.” (Matthew 4:3) Satan was prodding Jesus to prove himself. Ring a bell? Years ago, I met a famous preacher and the first thing she said to me was, “What do you do?” I don’t know why she asked that question. Perhaps, she was trying to make a connection, but her words twisted in my mind to imply that what I do equates my value. Thankfully, the Bible clearly states the tremendous value God gives every human life regardless of performance, including yours. Like Jesus, your worth is not rooted in your performance but God’s perspective of you.
Satan then offered Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.” (Matt. 4:8) Evil still encourages the old lie that we are what we have. Ultimately, it’s a security issue. If we identify ourselves by any means other than the Word of God -our education, the size of our home, our position at work, our spouse, if we compare ourselves to others- we are using the inferior measuring stick of this world. Jesus refused culture’s definition of success and instead allowed his success to be defined by obedience to God. He was secure in knowing His Father and his inheritance as God’s child.
The pull of self-glorification also dangled before Jesus (v8). If Jesus received the enemy’s gift and worshipped him, he would not be reviled by people or nailed to a cross. Instead, all would have a good opinion of him resulting in immense praise and honor. As Satan offered the kingdoms of the world to Jesus, he was suggesting Jesus could bypass God’s plan and grab his glory ahead of time. We fight this temptation too, for instance, whenever we plan a response in conversation to positively shape what others think of us, or with a social media post where our self-image is bolstered with likes. Parents face glorifying themselves concerning their child’s abilities or where their student attends college. We must remember we are who God says we are, not what others think of us.
When we become enamored with performance, possessions, and popularity we are believing they add more value to our lives than what God has already declared. Today, live like Jesus – in the light of God’s deep affection, receiving the worth and value He has already placed on you, His beloved child.
Reflection:
Do you know what God thinks of you? Google search, “What does God think of me?” You’ll find many resources pointing to scripture that express God’s thoughts toward you.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for setting Your love on me. Forgive me for seeking worth in anything outside of You. Please fill me with the light of Your truth and draw me deeper into Your love that I may know my true worth and value.